The Stop the War Coaltion has a new venture. Having utterly deserted and betrayed the Iranian people, it has launched another campaign. Nominally a campaign against Islamophobia, it features the same old tired bunch of Islamists, Stalinists and Trotskyites that we’re used to seeing on the same platform.
You can read about it on Islamophobia-Watch, where you’ll see the usual list of dodgy supporters and speakers listed. Incidentally, Diane Abbott did not speak at the meeting. Whether the “bloke from Babyshambles who isn’t Pete” turned up, I dunno.
The reason that I’m blogging about this meeting, is that one of the speeches was given by the deposed former Socialist Worker Party Central Committee member, Lindsey German. Here she is.
At about 1:30, she mentions Harry’s Place. She reads out a comment that appears on a long and hotly debated thread on a post on the proposed French burqa ban. Harry’s Place is described by German as
“a disgusting kind of blog which is very very much against Muslims”
German reads a comment which is supportive of the French ban.
First of all, it is highly defamatory to those of us who run Harry’s Place to claim that we are “against Muslims”. That is a pretty outrageous lie.
Secondly, the post itself opposes the proposed French ban:
Now I do think Sarkozy is wrong. I loathe the burqa. It is hideous. However, a ban would be an illiberal and entirely symbolic act. Women who really are suffering abuse will not be helped this way. Women who are instead happy to live in a mobile prison whenever they appear in public should be free to do so.
Thirdly, every writer on Harry’s Place who has expressed a view on the French burqa ban has opposed it.
Finally, Harry’s Place is a blog with an open comments policy. We do not have the time or the inclination generally to censor views with which we disagree.
I appreciate that the notion of open debate, and defeating your opponents by arguments, is entirely alien to the totalitarian tradition to which German clings. Nevertheless, it is highly dishonest for German to deliver a speech in which she attributes to Harry’s Place writers and entirely false view of our beliefs. It is disgusting behaviour.
Lindsey German only feels safe lying about us in public for one reason. She knows that, as a matter of principle, I will not sue for defamation.
Therefore, she is deliberately defaming us, because think she can do so with impunity. Well she can’t.
I would like an apology from Lindsey German, and an acknowledgement of the following:
– It is true that Harry’s Place has been highly critical of named Islamist and jihadist groups and their extreme Left enablers. We have, however, always been strongly supportive of the rights of all people, irrespective of their ethnicity, culture and religion.
– In the Kafa speech, Lindsey German wholly mispresented the position of Harry’s Place writers on the question of the proposed French burqa ban.
Now, who can let me have Lindsey German’s email address?
