George Galloway and the communal -ism
Nick Cohen made a strong attack on GG in last Sunday's Observer. This included the parallel life of Sir Oswald Mosley and their East End careers.
http://tinyurl.com/9faux *
In the inky version there was a picture of Mosley in full flow.
I have heard GG speak on a good number of occasions. Before, during and 'after' the war. Four times I think during 2003. The delivery is legendary. But I was not particularly impressed with the content and this feeling increased with each event. More about George and less about Iraq or whatever. And this increasing cheerleading for the killing in Iraq.
Perhaps GG will beat Oona King. Perhaps not. But either way I think the style of his campaign and the reported hothead incidents around it appear lamentable.
Communalism is a dangerous -ism. But GG is not the only one who has been using this approach. If George is really saying if you're asian vote Respect, if you're muslim vote Respect he is only doing the same thing which we saw from two parties in Manchester during the Euro and Local elections in 2004.
Obviously the BNP were saying "Protect your identity, vote BNP" to white voters disaffected with the way things are and will continue to be.
When Respect managed to get an imam in Preston to endorse a council candidate in 2003 the Lib Dems protested vehemently. Even though they had imams calling for Lib Dem votes left, right and centre. But Respect are not the other party I meant.
The Liberal Democrats were saying it too. In the euro election campaign a targeted leaflet essentially called for a vote for the Lib Dems to get an asian elected. The individual concerned has family in the Tory party and seems unlikely to share the Lib Dem agenda of social liberalism. This agenda was not part of the pitch.
At least when Muslims For Labour put out a leaflet it rehearses the benefits of Labour policy and the actual achievements on representation and so on.
Cllr Faraz Bhatti actually used almost the same phrase as the BNP in an advert in an Urdu paper "Aatish" soon after he was first elected. As well as telling fibs about Council Tax rises, suggesting a rise of 11% was on the cards, he called on readers to "Retain your identity, join the Lib Dems".
Alongside this we had a Lib Dem MEP refusing to take an interest in controlling the threatening content of the Combat 18 Redwatch site. A site which gives photos, names and addresses of people spotted on anti-racist marches and so on.
And a Lib Dem council candidate, now councillor, telling voters living opposite a school with 90% muslim students that :
"I wouldn't mind if the BNP had councillors in Manchester. We could debate the issues in the Council chamber."
This last party may be confused and naive in this matter. But George Galloway is an experienced and able politician and he surely knows exactly what he has been doing in Bethnal Green and Bow.
Incidentally, though I have been assured by someone that should know that no ward party in Bethnal Green and Bow wanted the super-loyalist Oona King to be selected or re-selected, I have been unable to find out how she managed to secure that selection.
* Full URL http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1461621,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/9faux *
In the inky version there was a picture of Mosley in full flow.
I have heard GG speak on a good number of occasions. Before, during and 'after' the war. Four times I think during 2003. The delivery is legendary. But I was not particularly impressed with the content and this feeling increased with each event. More about George and less about Iraq or whatever. And this increasing cheerleading for the killing in Iraq.
Perhaps GG will beat Oona King. Perhaps not. But either way I think the style of his campaign and the reported hothead incidents around it appear lamentable.
Communalism is a dangerous -ism. But GG is not the only one who has been using this approach. If George is really saying if you're asian vote Respect, if you're muslim vote Respect he is only doing the same thing which we saw from two parties in Manchester during the Euro and Local elections in 2004.
Obviously the BNP were saying "Protect your identity, vote BNP" to white voters disaffected with the way things are and will continue to be.
When Respect managed to get an imam in Preston to endorse a council candidate in 2003 the Lib Dems protested vehemently. Even though they had imams calling for Lib Dem votes left, right and centre. But Respect are not the other party I meant.
The Liberal Democrats were saying it too. In the euro election campaign a targeted leaflet essentially called for a vote for the Lib Dems to get an asian elected. The individual concerned has family in the Tory party and seems unlikely to share the Lib Dem agenda of social liberalism. This agenda was not part of the pitch.
At least when Muslims For Labour put out a leaflet it rehearses the benefits of Labour policy and the actual achievements on representation and so on.
Cllr Faraz Bhatti actually used almost the same phrase as the BNP in an advert in an Urdu paper "Aatish" soon after he was first elected. As well as telling fibs about Council Tax rises, suggesting a rise of 11% was on the cards, he called on readers to "Retain your identity, join the Lib Dems".
Alongside this we had a Lib Dem MEP refusing to take an interest in controlling the threatening content of the Combat 18 Redwatch site. A site which gives photos, names and addresses of people spotted on anti-racist marches and so on.
And a Lib Dem council candidate, now councillor, telling voters living opposite a school with 90% muslim students that :
"I wouldn't mind if the BNP had councillors in Manchester. We could debate the issues in the Council chamber."
This last party may be confused and naive in this matter. But George Galloway is an experienced and able politician and he surely knows exactly what he has been doing in Bethnal Green and Bow.
Incidentally, though I have been assured by someone that should know that no ward party in Bethnal Green and Bow wanted the super-loyalist Oona King to be selected or re-selected, I have been unable to find out how she managed to secure that selection.
* Full URL http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1461621,00.html
posted by Chris Paul at 10:46 PM
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