Well, Tom said he agreed with the BNP that only indigenously white people were Britons. From the corner of my eye, I saw a poster of the England football team on his wall. I pointed to the poster and asked ‘So I guess a lot of your players aren’t British then?’ Visible flash of understanding in his eyes as it hit him what voting BNP actually meant. He backtracked almost immediately.
Truth is that it is the BNP that is fundamentally un-British. Britain has a proud history of racial and religious tolerance, welcoming immigrants from around the world who in turn contribute to the economy and culture. This is part of what makes Britain great, and as a community, we all need to fight the BNP together. Defeating the BNP is not just something for politicians. We all need to play our part in stemming the creeping tide of racism. And the most effective way to do this is to ensure people know what the BNP really stand for.
I’ve found when you spell out the BNP’s views about how black or Asian people are not and can never be British, that mixed race relationships should be outlawed, that the apartheid law and employment policies should be introduced based on skin colour, people tend to be as appalled as I am.
Yes of course politicians also have a part to play. They have an obligation to start listening more to the grievances of disenchanted voters who the BNP prey on. They need to tackle the BNP head on in public debates, exposing their hateful and abhorrent views for what they are. Nick Griffin’s pitiful appearance on Question Time was a successful example of this – so much so that he declined a recent offer to appear on the BBC Politics Show.
However, it is down to people like you and I who see the risk of the BNP to work tirelessly to expose what BNP representation actually means. People voting BNP because they feel alienated by mainstream politics will not be influenced by mainstream politicians. Therefore our communities and our informal networks are key alternative channels for fighting the BNP.
Finally on a personal note, the BNP tries to defame everything I stand for.
As a woman, the BNP’s misogynistic views offend me deeply. Can you believe that one of their main leaders believes that a woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched than being raped?
As a British – Bengali, they have repeatedly insisted that I cannot claim to be British because I am not ‘indigenously white’. Their principles of racial superiority are, frankly speaking, insulting to someone like me who considers Britain to be her home.
As a young Muslim, they have misrepresented Islam completely to suit their own needs and to scaremonger amongst the non-Muslim community.
As the proud aunt of a half Bengali half Caucasian niece, the BNP’s views of mixed-race relationships as “mongrelising the white race” make me furious.
As a friend and colleague of many people from the Jewish community, Nick Griffin’s denial of the Holocaust, (he described it as the “hoax of the 20th century”) is horrifying, insensitive and reeks of sheer ignorance.
Whether you like it or not the peril of the BNP is indisputable. The BNP have exploited hardship caused by the recession and disgruntlement with mainstream politics to win over a million votes last year, securing council and European seats. Nick Griffin has described Islam as a “cancer” that should be removed from Europe by “chemotherapy”. Well I think Nick Griffin is a disease that is trying to infect our country.
So, as Gordon Brown would say, ‘get real’ people because the threat of the BNP is imminent. We all need to exercise our votes on 6 May to stop Nick Griffin’s venom from poisoning our society.
“..an obligation to start listening more to the grievances of disenchanted voters who the BNP prey on”
Listening they are good at. Addressing the grievances, not so great. Browns 2007 pledge to build 3 million new homes, slashed to 50,000 in 2010 springs to mind. Lack of housing is a direct consequence of immigration policy. “Get Real”. Quite.
The political establishment is not serious about the problems their policies have created, why should voters take their lipservice seriously?
Are black people in China Chinese? A British citizen can be any colour, a Briton is always white.
is a white south african AFRICAN answer yes
I do worry when people have not actually read the BNP manifesto and found out what they actually do stand for! There are many Jewish ,Asian and West Indian members of the party because they know that the BNP is not a racist party,nor do they want to outlaw mixed marriages. Tulip ,you say yourself you are a Bengali Briton…that is what you are,a British citizen with the rights of every other British citizen which the BNP would defend. It is not Islam or Muslims that the BNP are against but the growing number of radicals who want sharia law here and the islamification of Britain. The BNP is totally opposed to the war in Afganistan because they believe every country shoud be allowed to function as the indigenous people wish. Tulip I implore you as an intelligent thinking person,find out for yourself.Go to the BNP website to find out the truth. Do not take on board what you are told by others who are the real fascists.
Your article amazes me. You say Britain as a proud history of racial and religious tolerance, yet it has only been in the last 50years that immigrants have really entered the country,up to then the country was predominately white, remember Mr Powells speech, and as for contributing to our culture, i think not, open your eyes, it’s our culture that is being eradicated whilst everyone else can celebrate theirs, hence the rise of the BNP. And what about the so called oppressive, imperialistic empire Britain had, would you call that ‘ racial and religious tolerance’, i think not. The BNP state that ethnics can be ‘civicly British’ but not ‘ethnically British’. If i was born in Pakistan i would not expect to be ethnically Pakistani because i am not part of their genetic make up and i would not want to impose my views on them, i would expect to live under their government and abide by their laws, the laws of the indigneous Pakistani. And as you regard yourself as a muslim, you should know that what the BNP say about islam is correct. You yourself should know that it is Allahs wish that Islam dominates the world and it is the muslim communities desire to carrying out that wish or are you using self denial in regards to certain sections of the Koran or are you using the islamic deception of ‘Takeya’. And as regards to your disgust at the BNP’s alledged views on mixed marriages, i find it disgusting that for a muslim to marry a non muslim the non muslim as got to change his faith to Islam for the marrige to take place, that to me is racially and religiously intolerant. Has for Mr Griifins denial of the Holocaust, i think you should look into that further before you say that you find it horrifying, insensitive and ignorant. If you look into history you will find that two of the eight German war divisions during WW2 where Muslim, the reason, your faith shared the same ideals has the Nazi’s in regard to the destruction of the Jewish faith. I could go on but i must tell you that there is no one more ignorant than yourself after reading your article.
Steve should read Peter Fryer’s Staying Power. It is nonsense to say that immigration started fifty years ago. For example there has been a Jewish population for many centuries with a particularly strong entry in the late nineteenth century because of persecution. Romany people are mentioned in Elizabethan writings. London had large numbers of black people in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Indeed, Elizabeth 1 at one point talked about immigration controls! My roots are Irish and we too have had a strong presence for many generations. At the beginning of each wave of immigration there have been tensions then acceptance and co-existence have ensued. Say it loud and say it clear, we are better for immigration. The only problem is making sure the resources are here for all our communities. Racists have never been involved in social movements for better resources, only reactionary campaigns against newcomers, however hard working, decent and honourable.
Interesting article Tulip, but your own words have talked yourself out of winning your arguement and you demonstrate that you actually agree with the BNP! You describe yourself as a ‘British-Bengali’ which says it all. I guess in your terms I’m therefore a ‘British-Briton’ (or an ‘indigenous Briton’), which is exactly what the BNP are saying. Like most indigenous Britons our roots here go back 1,000 s of years. As a comparison, the Maoris arrived in New Zealand just 730 years ago (like many indigenous Brits who care to look I can trace my actual family here back to well before even the formation of England). The BNP are arguing for the rights of indigenous Britons, so that the UK complies fully with the United Nations declarations on indigenous peoples. Just because I’m modern, white and western it doesn’t somehow mean that I don’t have emotional and spiritual attachments to the homeland where my ancestors trod. Rather than trying to denegrate it, that should be respected. I wouldn’t dream of disrespecting indigenous peoples in their own homeland, and I don’t expect it for me either. The politicians of the main parties have their own agendas for pushing mass immigration, but they ignore the core needs of British people at their peril, as the toleration of people the world over has its limits. As immigration issues start to come to the fore, we could be starting to reach those limits.
you attack the bnp for being racist,everyone agreas there must be strickter border controls.the bnp does not have to appologise for the massacre of 600,000 afghan farmers and the deaths of 300 british heroes.its labour conservative and the uaf that support the invasion of these third world oil rich countrys.the bnp has never attacked anyone ,labour conservative and uaf are the murdering dictators who have caused the tensions between the muslim world,but they like to blame the british national party
The BNP are the only party that gives even slight hope for the UKs future. The others have certainly doomed us.
This article is totally bogus and biased, you are misrepresenting the BNP manifesto. Reading this article makes me want to vote BNP as they must be doing something right to get people like you to wast so much time trying to stop them.
Also I note at least half of this article is a cut and past job from other similar UAF and Searchlight reports: football team, holocaust, jewish friends etc, do you guys have a playbook you read from?
Try something original next time like actually debating the BNP policies…………
Tulip if youcall yourself a British Bengali then you are actually agreeing with the BNP………………………………….JEEZ…………………………….
Alan Gibbons,
Alan, can you not understand the difference between the miniscule numbers of immigrants in Britain before 1948, since then the numbers have grown larger and larger, and since 1997 has reached mass, uncontrolled numbers. Also, prior to the 1950s immigrants wre overwhelmingly of the same race – ie, caucasians. That, together with their small numbers, meant that they were able to fit in without changing the culture or appearance of towns or whole areas, unlike now when, due to mass immigration from Third world countries, places like Blackburn, Oldham, Burnley, Keighley, Bradford, Birmingham, Leicester, and whole areas of London, no longer look, feel or even sound British. THAT is what people are concerned about – had immigration stayed at the low levels that existed up to the 1960s, the problem wouldn’t exist, as the individuals would have been swallowed up in a still indigenous culture. I suspect that you are one of those people who simply cannot bear the thought that, prior to 1948, Britain’s population was almost totally caucasian, and that any idea that objecting to the changes since then constitute “racism”. it is pointless arguing with such people – like trying to reason with religious fundamentalists.
Alan Gibbons,
Alan, can you not understand the difference between the miniscule numbers of immigrants in Britain before 1948, since then the numbers have grown larger and larger, and since 1997 has reached mass, uncontrolled numbers. Also, prior to the 1950s immigrants wre overwhelmingly of the same race – ie, caucasians. That, together with their small numbers, meant that they were able to fit in without changing the culture or appearance of towns or whole areas, unlike now when, due to mass immigration from Third world countries, places like Blackburn, Oldham, Burnley, Keighley, Bradford, Birmingham, Leicester, and whole areas of London, no longer look, feel or even sound British. THAT is what people are concerned about – had immigration stayed at the low levels that existed up to the 1960s, the problem wouldn’t exist, as the individuals would have been swallowed up in a still indigenous culture. I suspect that you are one of those people who simply cannot bear the thought that, prior to 1948, Britain’s population was almost totally caucasian, and that any idea that objecting to the changes since then constitute “racism”. it is pointless arguing with such people – like trying to reason with religious fundamentalists.
Once again, a very biased article against the BNP. Go and read the BNP policies. Not one bit on their website can i call racist or fascist. I find it rediculous that these papers and different thigs are attaking the BNP. All they want is the British to be put first. In Germany, its germany first. Thats not racist. Its just common scence. And it makes me laugh when the anti-fascists kick up a fuss when the BNP have time on tv. Because they are the ones, being the fascists. They cant take it, that a right-wing party are being allowed to make a point. Typical left wingers. This country needs change. Change that will put british people first. Black or white. Britain for the British. Whats so terrible racist, and wrong about that.
Good luck BNP.
“Truth is that it is the BNP that is fundamentally un-British. Britain has a proud history of racial and religious tolerance, welcoming immigrants from around the world who in turn contribute to the economy and culture. “
Britain has no history of mass immigration (and therefore any significant quantity of racial minorities) prior to WW2 and no history of any religions bar Jewish or Christian ones prior to WW2. Even in the case of Jews, they were a tiny minority living amongst a homogenous ethnic and religous unit of British people
“This is part of what makes Britain great”
This country was called Great Britain prior to the invention of the gospel of multi-culturalism.
“Defeating the BNP is not just something for politicians.”
No it is also for the media, the churches, quangos, think-tanks, NGOs, B-list celebrities and professional anti-racists.
“We all need to play our part in stemming the creeping tide of racism. And the most effective way to do this is to ensure people know what the BNP really stand for.”
Wanting your own ethnic group to survive in their own historical homeland is not racist.
“I’ve found when you spell out the BNP’s views about how black or Asian people are not and can never be British, that mixed race relationships should be outlawed, that the apartheid law and employment policies should be introduced based on skin colour, people tend to be as appalled as I am.”
Black and Asian people can’t be ethnically British- that is a fact. I’m a Serb- I’m not ethnically British. So what? You want reality to be deformed to whatever suits you? You want to deny others an identity to make yourself feel better? Mixed race relationship would not be outlawed, employment would not be based on skin colour, you’re making this up as you go along. Its not difficult to be appalled when you’ve fabricated your own outrageous evidence. You misrepresent the views of others, then you judge them based on your own interpretation and yet you still manage to feel morally superior.
“As a British – Bengali, they have repeatedly insisted that I cannot claim to be British because I am not ‘indigenously white’. Their principles of racial superiority are, frankly speaking, insulting to someone like me who considers Britain to be her home. “
Interesting how you turn ethnic identity into a matter of “racial supremacy”.
Not being ethnically British does not make you racially inferior- that’s your own conclusion noone elses.
“As the proud aunt of a half Bengali half Caucasian niece, the BNP’s views of mixed-race relationships as “mongrelising the white race” make me furious. “
The BNP does not seek to tell people who they can and can’t fall in love with- it would introduce no law banning mixed-race relationships. Having said that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with an individual not wanting to intermarry with other ethnicities because they want to preserve their own. I am a Serb, I like seeing Serbs marry Serbs because it continues a thousand year bond and retains the integrity of our ethnic unit. Why is that evil? Why does everyone have to fawn over mixed-race relationships?
“So, as Gordon Brown would say, ‘get real’ people because the threat of the BNP is imminent. We all need to exercise our votes on 6 May to stop Nick Griffin’s venom from poisoning our society.”
The only poison is coming from preachers of fear and hatred such as yourself who want to deny the native people their own identity, their own culture, their own historic homeland, just so that they can feel better about themselves. I’ll be voting BNP thanks.
“Truth is that it is the BNP that is fundamentally un-British. Britain has a proud history of racial and religious tolerance, welcoming immigrants from around the world who in turn contribute to the economy and culture. “
Britain has no history of mass immigration (and therefore any significant quantity of racial minorities) prior to WW2 and no history of any religions bar Jewish or Christian ones prior to WW2. Even in the case of Jews, they were a tiny minority living amongst a homogenous ethnic and religous unit of British people
“This is part of what makes Britain great”
This country was called Great Britain prior to the invention of the gospel of multi-culturalism.
“Defeating the BNP is not just something for politicians.”
No it is also for the media, the churches, quangos, think-tanks, NGOs, B-list celebrities and professional anti-racists.
“We all need to play our part in stemming the creeping tide of racism. And the most effective way to do this is to ensure people know what the BNP really stand for.”
Wanting your own ethnic group to survive in their own historical homeland is not racist.
“I’ve found when you spell out the BNP’s views about how black or Asian people are not and can never be British, that mixed race relationships should be outlawed, that the apartheid law and employment policies should be introduced based on skin colour, people tend to be as appalled as I am.”
Black and Asian people can’t be ethnically British- that is a fact. I’m a Serb- I’m not ethnically British. So what? You want reality to be deformed to whatever suits you? You want to deny others an identity to make yourself feel better? Mixed race relationship would not be outlawed, employment would not be based on skin colour, you’re making this up as you go along. Its not difficult to be appalled when you’ve fabricated your own outrageous evidence. You misrepresent the views of others, then you judge them based on your own interpretation and yet you still manage to feel morally superior.
“As a British – Bengali, they have repeatedly insisted that I cannot claim to be British because I am not ‘indigenously white’. Their principles of racial superiority are, frankly speaking, insulting to someone like me who considers Britain to be her home. “
Interesting how you turn ethnic identity into a matter of “racial supremacy”.
Not being ethnically British does not make you racially inferior- that’s your own conclusion noone elses.
“As the proud aunt of a half Bengali half Caucasian niece, the BNP’s views of mixed-race relationships as “mongrelising the white race” make me furious. “
The BNP does not seek to tell people who they can and can’t fall in love with- it would introduce no law banning mixed-race relationships. Having said that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with an individual not wanting to intermarry with other ethnicities because they want to preserve their own. I am a Serb, I like seeing Serbs marry Serbs because it continues a thousand year bond and retains the integrity of our ethnic unit. Why is that evil? Why does everyone have to fawn over mixed-race relationships?
“So, as Gordon Brown would say, ‘get real’ people because the threat of the BNP is imminent. We all need to exercise our votes on 6 May to stop Nick Griffin’s venom from poisoning our society.”
The only poison is coming from preachers of fear and hatred such as yourself who want to deny the native people their own identity, their own culture, their own historic homeland, just so that they can feel better about themselves. I’ll be voting BNP thanks.
so much for racial tollerance serb man,we all saw the civil war in yugoslavia in which your country was divided after the massacre of the bosnian muslims,we dont want that here and muslim countrys dont want white christians dictating in their countrys,they would not allow it .so go and preach in muslim countrys about multiculturism and see what happens,i dont think they will be as tollerent as the british,god bless nick griffin and the bnp
Tulip, what a misguided, uninformed writer you are for all the reasons eloquently stated in earlier comments by others. It is an undeniable fact that there is such a thing as an indigenous Briton with one such being found from over 40000 years ago. DNA taken from the remains were identified to at least 3 living persons.
As such, as stated elsewhere, we have more right to be termed indigenous to these islands than the Maoris, Aborigines and American Red Indians are to their countries of origin and have every right to the protection of our lands, cultures, faith, customs, etc.
This is despite that British/English-hating traitor Brown refusing to ratify the UN document mentioned elsewhere as that would give us the protection he wants to deny us.
That is why Labour and the Tories (aided and abetted by LibDems) have flooded this normally welcoming nation with immigrants for the past 50-odd years – to colonise us – with the prospect of another 70 million entitled to come from Turkey when they enter the EU. It is nothing less than genocide that is taking place (look up the definition to see if that term is too strong in this situation) but they all want the Muslim vote. Muslim birthrates are 10 times that of Christian British (Black or White) so our future existence is in peril.
Those of us in the BNP are not going to stand by and see this happen and will pay with our blood if necessary. Knowing that 75% of Muslims of Pakistani origin do not regards Britain as their country and many would like to see Sharia law implemented here – as well as worldwide Islamic control- only serves to empower us more to alert our fellow Brits to the greatest threat this country has ever faced.
BTW, although I used the term `we British’, my father was black (from West Indian origins), mother white, brother is black, sister is white, as me, so I am probably only civically British in BNP terms. Frankly I don’t give a damn, that is fine by me and nobody asked my skin colour when I joined 12 months ago!
All these comments are nonsense. The word ‘British’ does not indicate any ‘ethnicity’ – that’s the whole point of it. It is ONLY a civic status. Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and is a a civic identity. Just as ‘American’ is a civic status and has nothing to do with your parents’ ethnicity. So there’s no way of being ‘indigenously British’. And who can tell what their origins are anyway? My roots go back to Scotland and England but go back 2 generations and I’ve no idea. My father and are asked if we’re Jewish – maybe I have Jewish ancestry. Does that mean I’m not ‘ethnically British’? There’s no way of knowing!
Second, there has been immigration into the country since the dawn of time – Celts, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Normans, Jews, Germans, Dutch, French Huguenots, Irish – all lost now in the mist of time and the mix of people having relationships, families and thence becoming… British!
Holocaust denial is really only a form of anti-semitism.
The misogyny, homophobia, anti-semitism and bigotry of Islam is matched only by the BNP. They richly deserve each other.
The replies to my post are disturbing. What does it matter what colour immigrants are? We are all brothers and sisters under the skin. The Muslims I meet are totally British. The younger generations have regional accents and the same concerns and interests as anyone else. Race and religion rarely come up as an issue when I meet Asian or Afro-Caribbean friends. We are not defined by our differences but by our common humanity. I don’t feel I am in unfamiliar territory in cities such as Bradford or Leicester. I am made to feel extremely welcome. Don’t judge whole communities by tiny numbers of miscreants.