EDL on Newsnight tonight.

[B Huey]

The leader of the English Defence League is on with Paxman later, could be an interesting interview.

[mybrainhurts]

Paxman's going to say it again...I can feel it in my water..

[Victor McDade]

Not sure about his members but I don't think this guy is the right wing racist thug some try to paint him as. However, his message isn't very coherent. What exactly is his organisation against? Muslims, islam, the koran, paedophiles, militants, Shariah courts? What are his goals?

[KenBlocksPants]

Far too much anger involved in this.

Confused message even in thier name

[MX7]

The guy seemed desperately ill-equipped to be on Newsnight. He didn't seems to understand the role of arbitration courts, or how benign they really are. In fact, he seemed very confused about everything.

Perhaps that is a factor in their success. If you have any concern about Islam, or Muslims, the EDL will have a policy to suit you!

[Spiritual_Beggar]

KenBlocksPants said:

Far too much anger involved in this.

Confused message even in thier name

I know what you mean.

How do they expect to achieve anything without a Midfield and Strike force as well!

I mean, I was as angry with Green, Rio, Cole as much as the next man, but clearly it was our lack of a creative midfield and attack that really cost us in Seth Efrica!

[Brighton Derly]

Victor McDade said:

Not sure about his members but I don't think this guy is the right wing racist thug some try to paint him as. However, his message isn't very coherent. What exactly is his organisation against? Muslims, islam, the koran, paedophiles, militants, Shariah courts? What are his goals?

I think he's against Islam and the koran.

Which is not the same as being against Muslims.

'They know not what they do' etc.

[davepoth]

Brighton Derly said:

I think he's against Islam and the koran.

Which is not the same as being against Muslims.

'They know not what they do' etc.

It would seem he's against the fundamentalist interpretation of the Hadith that we unfortunately seem to get quite a lot here.

There are more moderate interpretations, but it varies from sect to sect, in much the same way as the interpretation of the bible does between Catholics and Coptics, or the Torah between Orthodox and Reform Jews.

So if he was able to sit down with a bit of peace and quiet for a while, what he'd probably want to ask for is a moderate British reinterpretation of the Hadith, which would require an awful lot more leadership from the Muslim Council of Britain who don't want to anger many of their members it would seem.

[aclivity]

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is a thoroughly unpleasant, nasty little man. He does not deserve the oxygen of publicity.

http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/edl-leader...

[davepoth]

aclivity said:

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is a thoroughly unpleasant, nasty little man. He does not deserve the oxygen of publicity.

http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/edl-leader...

Really? hardly a career criminal is he? He'd still be allowed to be the Prime Minister with that record.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/mps_with_cri...

And as for being an ex-BNP member, a leopard can change its spots. Witness this ex-BNP member who converted to Islam.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/sep/24/religi...

[aclivity]

davepoth said:

aclivity said:

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is a thoroughly unpleasant, nasty little man. He does not deserve the oxygen of publicity.

http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/edl-leader...

Really? hardly a career criminal is he? He'd still be allowed to be the Prime Minister with that record.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/mps_with_cri...

And as for being an ex-BNP member, a leopard can change its spots. Witness this ex-BNP member who converted to Islam.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/sep/24/religi...

All the evidence of his nastiness and unpleasantness was on display, for all to see on the BBC last night.

A "leopard" can change it's spots, I agree. Yaxley-Lennon hasn't though, he's still a horrible little man.

[Martial Arts Man]

I inadvertantly stumbled across an EDL march a couple of weeks back at Crewe railway station whilst on my way to Chester to buy a car. The were marching through the station as I was exiting so I had the opportunity to get very close.

In the past, my feelings have always been fairly benign towards these folks; they have a right to their opinions and a right to protest peacefully etc.

However, they were just a bunch of dirty, ill-educated, football-hooligan-esque mouth breathers. I was quite disappointed really.

[4Q]

Martial Arts Man said:

they were just a bunch of dirty, ill-educated, football-hooligan-esque mouth breathers. I was quite disappointed really.

As much as or less than the UAF?

[Jackleman]

Just watched the Newsnight prog on EDL on the BBC iPlayer, was interested to know more as an old school friend has recently declared his support for the EDL, I didn't really know what it was if I am honest.

First few observations...

They all appear to be a bunch of brain dead chavs looking for a fight.

The leader of the EDL appears to have been dropped on his head as a kid.

Xenophobia.

[aclivity]

4Q said:

Martial Arts Man said:

they were just a bunch of dirty, ill-educated, football-hooligan-esque mouth breathers. I was quite disappointed really.

As much as or less than the UAF?

From what I have seen, the UAF tend to be slightly more educated, support rugger or hockey rather than football, but in groups can display the same level of hooligan-esque behaviour.

Which STILL doesn't make the EDL right.

[fido]

davepoth said:

And as for being an ex-BNP member, a leopard can change its spots. Witness this ex-BNP member who converted to Islam.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/sep/24/religi...

Interesting story. Sounds like someone who needs to belong to a group - many people do in order to give themselves a structure to live within.

[Tsippy]

aclivity said:

4Q said:

Martial Arts Man said:

they were just a bunch of dirty, ill-educated, football-hooligan-esque mouth breathers. I was quite disappointed really.

As much as or less than the UAF?

From what I have seen, the UAF tend to be slightly more educated, support rugger or hockey rather than football, but in groups can display the same level of hooligan-esque behaviour.

Which STILL doesn't make the EDL right.

My experience of a UAF member is that they *think* they are intelligent and educated however are nothing more than brainwashed sheep following a cause because they believe it gives them the moral highground. So are actually very similar to the EDL I'd guess?


However, when I was caught in the trouble in Birmingham on my way home from work a couple of years back, it was definately the UAF facists who were causing the violence rather than the EDL.

[davepoth]

aclivity said:

From what I have seen, the UAF tend to be slightly more educated, support rugger or hockey rather than football, but in groups can display the same level of hooligan-esque behaviour.

Which STILL doesn't make the EDL right.

I was struck by watching the Newsnight thing that the point the guy was failing to make was quite valid. Other immigrant populations have managed to integrate well into the culture of the UK, have brought something unique and special to the UK and have made it better. Many UK Muslims have done the same, have accepted certain key tenets of UK society, and are contributing wonderfully to society.

But there's an element that wants to preserve the hardline Islam that was prevalent in the areas they came from originally. That's a creed that denigrates women, people of other religions, and even other Muslims. Hate is not a part of any Abrahamic religion, regardless of what any radical says.

The fact is, the leader of the EDL is not particularly eloquent, and has a less than ideal history. But his views are incredibly widely held, and I believe that rather than lumping them into the same group as the BNP, it would be a better idea to engage with them, and ensure that they do not become extremists themselves.

[4Q]

aclivity said:

4Q said:

Martial Arts Man said:

they were just a bunch of dirty, ill-educated, football-hooligan-esque mouth breathers. I was quite disappointed really.

As much as or less than the UAF?

From what I have seen, the UAF tend to be slightly more educated, support rugger or hockey rather than football, but in groups can display the same level of hooligan-esque behaviour.

Which STILL doesn't make the EDL right.

Sorry, might have put my point across wrong there...I didn't mean to say the EDL was right, just that all these goons are the same brain dead thugs, they're just supporting different 'causes'.

[Martial Arts Man]

4Q said:

As much as or less than the UAF?

Dunno, they weren't there.