Cameron compares Muslim extremeist groups to the BNP

Muslim extremists are often the "mirror image" of the BNP, seeking out grievances to promote an "us and them" society, says David Cameron.

To resist extremists of all sides, he said Britain must remove the "five barriers" dividing society.

These are uncontrolled immigration, extremism, multiculturalism, poverty and "educational apartheid", he says.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk...

I think he has a point here - if you look closely at extremist groups, regardless of their political or religious views, they use similar strategies to gain support.

And, rather ironically, each extreme seems to feed each other.

The BNP generalise excessively and present all Muslims (plus others) as 'bad', using scare tactics and so forth. The examples they use are often Muslim extremists - for example, those who commit race hate crimes or those involved in the July 7th/21st bombings.

Muslim extremist groups seem to operate in the same way... reversing the roles and blaming white extremists. They seem to feed off one another and form a sort of twisted symbiosis. And this could be a key tactic in the fight against extremism - if you manage to successfully break one side then the other is left without a scapegoat, and so the cause is put in jeopardy and it's easier to discredit them and drain their support.

Originally posted by Ste2652
And, rather ironically, each extreme seems to feed each other.

- I totally agree with this.

I don't doubt Cameron is sincere in very general terms, but
forgive me if I have my doubts on what Cameron and the tory party (most of whom come from very privileged backgrounds) know about the majority of the people in the UK today and our problems/issues.

For instance just to select one topic, his criticisms of "uncontrolled immigration".

He must know, or have been advised, that there is no such thing.
Every British Gov since the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 (and even before that, see link) has laid on control on control on control.

In fact this is precisely the kind of popular myth that is so unhelpful in our society and which he and his party are only too quick to (knowingly) propagate for selfish political ends.
By doing this, so often, they help to give the irrationally prejudiced and the racists a belief that they are in fact correct and justified in their views.

Frankly it's a disgrace and IMO they (the tory party) are part of the problem in this.

Sorry but as far as I'm concerned Cameron talks a (superficially) good game but it doesn't withstand much serious scrutiny.

Modern British immigration law began in 1905 as a response to Jewish immigration to the country from Russia and Eastern Europe, following the pogroms (campaigns of violent persecution against the Jews).
The legislation created immigration officers who could refuse entry to aliens (non-citizens) who appeared unable to support themselves.
There were, as there have always been since, exceptions for refugees from political or religious persecution.

uk.encarta.msn.com...

Muslim extremists are often the "mirror image" of the BNP, seeking out grievances to promote an "us and them" society, says David Cameron.

Okay, I can understand how one hatred feeds off the other but I think David Cameron has got it wrong with his comparison on this occasion. Whilst the BNP are indeed a right-wing political party, as far as I am aware they have never threatened to kill all non-christians or people who refuse to convert. Or threatened to be-head those who insult Jesus. Or indeed actually went and murdered on a massive scale.

Muslim extremists are evil way beyond the BNP. The BNP seems to be more concerned with conserving the identity and beliefs of the UK in their own radical manner, whilst muslim extremists seem to be more about indoctrination, racist bigotry, suppression of women and actual mass murder. How many died on September the 11th 2001? How many died in Madrid or the London bombings?

How many have the BNP killed / maimed / executed / beheaded?

none.

David Cameron is simply trying to reign in the conservative (and Labour) voters who are beginning to wander further to the right due to the disastrous failings of multiculturalism in the UK.

Your reply seems to have come straight from the BNP's website, boyg2004.

www.bnp.org.uk... < Look familiar?

The BNP IS concerned about indoctrination and racist bigotry whether you want to believe it or not.

Perhaps they haven't threatened to kill people (although they have had a very violent and murky past up until the last decade or so, and even beyond then), but they have threatened to disenfranchise people who refuse to join the military, they have claimed they'll waste billions of pounds of our money trying to force non-white people out of the UK. Basically, they're committed to buggering up the UK by reintroducing conscription (do you like professional, well-trained armed forces? You won't get that with conscription - you'll just cause a slump in the economy and have hundreds of thousands of young men and women wasting their time when they could be doing something far more constructive), shipping off minorities (spending your money doing so), filling children's heads full of nonsense (which smacks of what the Nazis did to Germany's education system in the 1930s). Frankly, I think the BNP are as bad for this country as Muslim extremists are. Both have no place in our society.

I'm not saying both groups are identical - they're not - but there are some fundamental aspects which both sides share and feed off one another. Neither side wouldn't be half as successful as they have been had it not been for the other. Prior to 2001 and the terrorist attacks in New York, they hardly ever stood for a parliamentary seat and had very few (if any) council seats. Now they do. In a twisted way, terrorism and Islamic extremism has been the best thing to ever happen for the British National Party. Sad, but true.

There's plenty of things about BNP members and ex-members that are similar to any handful of extremist sectarian idiots who claim to be Muslim.

Bombings, riots, physical assaults, nail-bomb plots, racism, pro-nazism, holocaust denial, intimidation and various violent disturbances of the peace.
The list goes on and on and on.

They have been reponsible for much hurt and harm here and they attract a bunch of dangerous hateful loopy psychopaths.

Tony Lecomber, now a senior BNP officer, was jailed for three years in 1985 for offences under the Explosives Act.

Two years after Copeland, David Tovey was on the verge of a murderous killing spree.
Unlike Copeland, who built his own nail bombs and other devices with information downloaded from far-right websites and some advice from fellow nazis, Tovey had a massive arsenal of state-of-the-art British military plastic explosive, remote control devices to set it off and dozens of other pieces of lethal hardware.
His main target was Swindon mosque where according to informed estimates he could have killed 200 worshippers.

Today Tovey is serving an inadequate 11-year sentence and could be out in three or four years if he behaves himself in jail.
Like in the Copeland case the police initially claimed Tovey was a loner with no political connections, but it was later revealed that he had made contact with the BNP.

www.searchlightmagazine.com...

Some more of what they have been connected to -

Some BNP personal histories

What the BNP really 'thinks'

Institute of Race relations, record of racial motivated assaults and murders

David Copeland, Soho bomber, murderer of 3 maimer of "at least 30" was BNP member

Rocket launcher found at ex-BNP member's home

Senior BNP offical suggested assassinating prominent politicians

BNP councillor convicted of assault

[edit on 31-1-2007 by sminkeypinkey]

Don't get me wrong here, guys. I'm most definitely not in favour of introducing far-right politics to the UK. I was being critical of David Cameron, not yourselves.

I just think it's irresponsible to draw a comparison on the incomparible.

[edit on 1-2-2007 by boyg2004]

After watching part of the six o'clock news this evening, I have to say that David Cameron seems to have been bang on in his comment.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Here is a man who stood for the BNP in the local council elections last year and stockpiled explosives in the belief that there was a civil war on the way... he also believed that the only way to save this country is to murder the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. A civil war! He's either insane or knew someone who was planning to set one off... and let's face it, white extremists have done this before (Bradford, 2001 for example).

This sounds as if it has come straight from an Islamic extremist anti-terrorism trial, but this guy is a white extremist. Proof, if anyone ever needed any, that the far right is just as bad as the Muslim extremists. The entire country, whatever your race or religion or anything else must come together to condemn extremism in all its forms, whether it be the far left, far right, religious extremists, animal rights extremists and all other types. I think that, and not murdering the elected head of government, is the only way the United Kingdom is going to survive.

Sadly he won't be the last hate-filled pathetic obsessive convinced only he and his little gang can really see and understand 'the real truth'.

Whether they be convincing themselves by using a perverted version of religion or politics the end result is inevitably the same with these guys.

They think their version of 'the greater good' entitles them to make us all fair game and expendable targets in their pursuit of their disgusting fascist aims.

Well to hell with that and them.

Like this man speak the truth. That is the way the extremist convert so many followers as easy as they do.

They brain wash them with this ideology, and try to find a common ground to rebuild their thinking to their ways.

[edit on 13-2-2007 by Royal76]