The banning of Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) announced today by the UK Home Secretary, Theresa May, is a cynical, populist attempt to ban free speech by people she simply doesn’t like. The group, led by the loud-mouthed twat Anjem Choudary, has been involved in a number of stunts such as the burning of poppies outside the Albert Hall at this time last year.
May’s stated reasons for banning the group that they are simply a renamed version of number of already proscribed groups really doesn’t hold water coming, as it does, a day or two before the group was due to hold their Hell for Heroes demonstration at this year’s Rememberance Day celebrations. I can’t see that MAC has ever done anything other than hold annoying, highly insulting stunts. To suggest that they’re ‘glorifying terrorism’ is simply nonsense. They’re being banned because of their bad attitude and also perhaps because May is involved in problems of her own concerned with UK border controls.
Why can’t we simply ignore groups such as MAC just as the USA does with groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church who picket the funerals of soldiers and homosexuals? So far as I see MAC is nothing but a bunch of prats and since when has being a prat, albeit an insulting one, been cause for proscription? If MAC were to hold their demonstration the police could always arrest them under public order laws just as they’ve done before.
Posted 10 November 2011, 20:15 GMT
