Baroness Warsi takes colleague – and the BBC – to task over coverage of his ‘no Islamophobia’ claim
Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi has been at the forefront of the campaign for the issue of Tory Islamophobia to be taken seriously – and today she castigated both a parliamentary colleague for his comments on the issue and the BBC for its response.
Smith told the BBC’s Politics Live that he had never seen any Islamophobia in his party, to Warsi’s disbelief:
She took to Twitter to air her assessment of his claim and argument:
But she also took issue with the way in which the BBC’s Andrew Neil – and mainstream journalists in general – present Tory Islamophobia as if it was merely her opinion:
SKWAWKBOX comment:
Tory Islamophobia is an issue for which an abundance – or to use Ms Warsi’s word, “plethora” of evidence exists. Yet the BBC and other media treat it as passing opinion in a way that looks – well, Islamophobic – and which certainly lets the Conservative party almost entirely off the hook for its behaviour and ingrained attitudes.
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There is a thousand times as much Islamophobia in British politics as there is antisemitism, which is another form of religious intolerance.
And within the Tory party Islamophobia is epidemic. Everyone knows this, just as everyone knows how rare anti-semitism is among Labour members.
I take your point bevin, but the reality is of course that NOT everyone is aware of it, precisely because the MSM minimise one, and grossly exaggerate the other AND transform the things people have said into anti-semitism, or fabricate things to further their agenda.
A perfect example is how in the days after his now infamous radio interview with Vanessa Feltz, many newspapers were stating that Ken Livingstone had said that Adolf Hitler was a Zionist, and Ian Austin even repeated the falsehood in a debate on anti-semitism in the HoC in April of last year. Here’s what he said (when he intervened):
Let me be clear about this: Ken Livingstone claimed that Hitler was a Zionist. That is anti-Semitism, pure and simple. It happened more than two years ago, and there has been ample time to deal with it, so it is a disgrace that it has not been dealt with. Kick him out immediately. It should have been enough when the Community Security Trust, the Holocaust Educational Trust, the Jewish Labour Movement and the Jewish Leadership Council all said that it was enough, but we even had the Chief Rabbi speaking out and still nothing has happened. It is a disgrace. My hon. Friend should stand at the Dispatch Box and tell the leader of the Labour party that Livingstone must be booted out. Boot him out!
I had to laugh when Jason Cowley of the New Statesmen claimed that Margaret Hodge fought the BNP.
He clearly does not understand irony.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/stand-down-margaret
Unlike the Labour Party the Conservative Party’s Code of Conduct only applies to those who represent the party in an official capacity. The Tory’s Code of Conduct does not apply to their members
The massive hypocrisy will be evident in the way this will rapidly become a non-story in the media, whereas the same individuals will seize on every non-story involving Labour.
Chris Williamson telling the truth will be victimized; Henry Smith telling a porky will be ignored.
Hodge: “You’ve got to root it out – like me.”
How TF does she ‘root out’ antisemitism?
“You’re Jewish, you MUST have suffered antisemitism from the despicable Corbynite Goyim at some time. They all hate us! Admit it! Tell the truth! Confess!”
?
Peter Kosminsky (Wolf Hall, The Promise)
Mike Leigh (Peterloo, Mr Turner)
Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake)
I think all of us would rather trust the neutral judgement of the the likes of Tom Watson, Stella Creasy and err … whatis/her name who have no interest other than cashing in on their MP salaries and certain obscure funding sources.
Sorry – a line got eliminated (a bit like the MSM) – I was referring to those who recommend Jackie Walker’s film ‘The Witch Hunt’.
Perhaps we should thank them for the advance publicity, there’s nothing like a bit of censorship to enliven people’s curiosity. Personally I can’t wait to see what they are so desperate to hide when Jackie’s film is released on March 17th.
Hope so. Do you think the Guardian will take a two-page spread to review it, whilst Newsnight does one of its fearless examinations of the evidence?? 🙂
RH 28/02/2019 at 10:40 pm
Unfortunately, considering the lack of enduring impact that ‘The Lobby’ has had either here or in the US I have my doubts. How often do you hear them quote from these documentaries as a balance to the latest (version) of the A/S smear.
Is that the same Stella Creasey who a year or so ago posted a disgusting racist cartoon once used to advertise an orange drink and which had to be removed from TV in the 1980s -yes the 1980s- because even then it was recognised as racially offensive. Stella saw nothing wrong with the vile content of this advertisement.
There is no hierarchy of racism. It is not OK to mock and stereo type BAME people then condemn Anti semitism. Thats called hypocrisy so I’m afraid I won’t be relying on Stella’s judgement or taking any lessons in anti racism from her.
She also called the rail union TSSA xenophobic for pointing out via a cheeky advert that many rail franchises are to foreign governments – and those that do make a profit are propping up fare payers and tax payers overseas!
Clearly she thinks that opposition to foreign governments profiting from our essential public services is somehow racist.
We can’t have this when we are too busy attacking Labour!
Hope others have been aware of the BBC coverage of David Lammys comment regarding white saviours in Uganda. Mr Lammy made an excellent point about hidden racism but has been treated with contempt all day in radio coverage,there was a particularly sneery piece on radio 4s six o’clock news. Perhaps Mr Lammy now has some idea how many of us accused by his colleagues and the media of being anti Semites feel.
Oh and how many Tory Council candidates was it suspended in the local elections the other year for alleged racist comments?
I once went to hear a friend perform at a British Legion Club and I was shocked at a group of Tory men sat near us; they were openly using the ‘Y’ word.
I think there is the urgent need for a bit of research ‘A Study into Potential Conservative Party Racism’ and wonder if there are any sponsors and researchers out there up for this urgent task?
Still no fulsome support for Chris Williamson from Skwawky I notice.
I think I smell a compromised rat…
I note the following Graun-Groan headline :
“Almost 500 Labour supporters of Jeremy Corbyn have signed an open letter apologising to the Jewish community for the party’s “collective failure” over tackling antisemitism.”
If true, it seems that there are more gullible numpties around than antisemites.
Meanwhile, even with the low bar set by Israeli politics :
“Netanyahu to be indicted on corruption charges, Israeli attorney general says”
… and the equally low bar that is Watson’s concept of truth and honour growls the clear fiction :
“Luciana Berger, a bright, young, female, pregnant MP, was bullied out of her own constituency by racist thugs”
Of course, it goes without saying that the truth of Watson’s utterances aren’t examined by anything like the ‘independent’ fearless reporting that the Graun pretends to in its charity appeal.
‘Our reporting can change the story’.
Indeed. I don’t think Viner possesses a sense of irony.
…. and in the meantime the Israeli state carries on doing what the Israeli state does with apparent impunity.
Damning UN Report Says Israel Killings in Gaza Last Year Amount to Possible ‘War Crimes or Crimes Against Humanity’
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoIOPT/A_HRC_40_74.pdf
Would be good if you could always think to put a link, Thanks
The above was addressed to RH, but it would of course be helpful if everyone could do so when relevant.
Think Link!
Right, just found it (link below).
The reality is of course that they are more-than-likely Blairite Tories POSING as JC supporters. I mean it doesn’t add up, does it. If you believe, as they supposedly do, that anti-semitism is endemic in the LP and that JC isn’t doing enough about it, then it beggars belief that you would still be supportive of him, if you ever WERE of course.
And isn’t it funny how they ALL claim they have seen anti-semitism by Labour members online AND offline. I don’t believe a word of it!
Anyway, you can be absolutely certain that the Guardian won’t be reporting about the hundreds – and probably thousands by now – who have been signing petitions in support of Chris Williamson. Except to paint them in a derogatory light, of course.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/28/labour-worst-day-shame-tom-watson-luciana-berger-resignation
I often do put up a link, Allan. On this one, I was just doing a quick scan of the Graun ‘News’ page of the day., as I anticipated that there would be a predictable pile of nonsense to justify the latest ridiculous (to the sane) witch hunt episode.
But I take your point.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/28/labour-worst-day-shame-tom-watson-luciana-berger-resignation
I must admit that when I first read that guardian article I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading.
Today’s edition claims that Momentum supported the initiative.
And if, as Tom Watson claimed, showing a video about Jackie Walker’s plight interferes with an ongoing disciplinary process, what does this petition and its very pointed timing do, whilst Chris Williamson’s case is under review?
What’s it all about? –
“Israeli forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by using lethal military force against unarmed protesters in Gaza, a United Nations independent commission of inquiry has found.
Israeli security forces committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Santiago Canton, the head of the commission, stated on Thursday.
“These violations clearly warrant criminal investigation and prosecution,” he added.
“[Israeli forces] have intentionally shot children, they’ve intentionally shot people with disabilities, they’ve intentionally shot journalists, knowing them to be children, people with disabilities and journalists,” Sara Hossain, one of the other three investigators appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said.”
See : https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/un-investigators-call-arrests-over-gaza-war-crimes
Now …. where’s that on the Graun website???
… and another interesting insight from ‘Middle East Eye’ on the pro-Israel scam operation :
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/truth-about-seumas-milne-jeremy-corbyn-and-new-mccarthyism
The political involvement of security service personnel will come as no surprise to those who know a bit about their operations against the 1970s Labour governments.
These Leaked Emails Reveal Number 10 Apologised After Conservative HQ Failed To Respond To Islamophobia Complaints
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/number-10-apology-conservative-hq-islamophobia