I argue in the post below that an important part of the Left is weak on opposing racism and fascism, and that the running is increasingly being made by centre Right groups, like Nothing British.
Here’s a case in point.
The Universities and Colleges Union is touring around a South African racist called Bongani Masuku. Masuku was found by the South African Human Rights Commission to have incited hatred against Jews.
Two days ago, the following message was posted to the UCU Activists List:
I would like to bring to attention of everyone who attends the BRICUP “Boycott Apartheid Israel” road shownext week that one of their speakers is a racist South African trade unionist called Bongani Masuku who has made numerous inflammatory, threatening and insulting statements” against the South African Jewish community.
This week the South African Human Rights Commission unequivocally found that Bongani Masuku’s statements amounted to hate speech and recommended that the matter would best be resolved through litigation before the Equality Court to seek a public apology from him.
Alana Pugh-Jones speaks for many of us when she wrote: Whatever the findings may be, inviting someone who openly and consistently promotes threatening action towards a community instead of employing factually based arguments to forward their cause, is a dangerous move which not only serves to undermine whatever merits may exist in the event but will only provide a platform for furthering hatred and tension around the Israel and Palestine debate.
You can read more about Bongani Masuku’s comments
Here: http://engageonline.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/bongani-masuku-bricup-boycott/
And here: http://www.hurryupharry.net/2009/12/03/bricup-tours-hate-speaker-around-british-universities/
It is totally unacceptable if the UCU gives Bongani Masuku a platform to peddle his racist views as one of the guest speakers at this weekend’s UCU funded BDS conference.
If this is the case and nobody has yet denied it, I call on Sally Hunt to immediately withdraw his invitation to the conference and withhold any monies that they may have agreed to pay him for attending the UCU event.
Guess how many responses this email got. How many of the SWP comrades rushed in to condemn the union for promoting this wicked and disgusting racist, and indeed for flying him over to the United Kingdom so that he can advise the union on ‘strategy’ and spread his sectarian hatred in British universities?
None. Not a single reply.
The far Left cannot be trusted to opposed racism.
