Tag: hate groups

More bad news for Britain

As Brexit is getting closer, political disintegration seems to continue in Britain. Jeremy Hosking, a multimillionaire financier, has registered a new party Brexit Express in order to support “hard Brexit” – the move increases the risk that the Conservative Party may split (1). Today seven MPs resigned from the Labour Party. According to them, the British politics is “broken” and the Labour Party has been taken over by “hard left.” They also criticized the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, as well as “antisemitism” and “racism” in the party. (2) One of the defectors, Luciana Berger, accused Labour Party of “institutional antisemitism” (3). Another defector, Angela Smith, caused a racism row by saying that members of ethnic minorities are of a “funny tinge” (4).

The British organization Hope not Hate published their annual “State of Hate Report.” According to the report, “Britain is increasingly divided and that is likely to increase” whatever happens with Brexit. There is also a growing risk of far right terrorism and increasing support for far right. The report also states that “anti-Muslim prejudice has replaced immigration as the key driver of far right growth”, but also attitudes towards immigration “are deteriorating.” The report also pays attention to the antisemitism problem in the Labour Party. On the other hand, Islamophobia seems to have become a significant problem in the Conservative Party. According to the report, “49% of 2017 Conservative voters think that Islam is incompatible to the British way of life and 47% think there are no go areas in Britain where sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter.” (5)

References:

1) “No-dealers dig in for a fresh battle amid fears of Tory split” The Guardian 17.2.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/17/no-deal-brexiters-tory-split-conservative-multimillionaire-donor-new-party

2) “In their own words: why seven MPs are quitting Labour” The Guardian 18.2.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/18/in-their-own-words-why-seven-mps-are-quitting-labour-independent-group

3) “MP says UK Labour is ‘institutionally anti-Semitic’ as 7 lawmakers quit party” The Times of Israel 18.2.2019

https://www.timesofisrael.com/mp-says-uks-labour-institutionally-anti-semitic-as-7-lawmakers-quit-party/

4) “Britain’s newest political group isn’t even a day old. It’s already been accused of racism” The Washington Post 18.2.2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/02/18/britains-newest-political-group-isnt-even-day-old-its-already-accused-racism/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4b46f4e89b8d

5) “State of Hate Report 2019” – Hope not Hate 17.2.2019

https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/research/state-of-hate-report-2019/

President Trump’s eventful campaign rally in Texas

President Trump had, even in his own opinion, an eventful campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, on Monday the 11th. President Trump once again criticized media as well as the Democratic Party, or “radical left.” The lively audience was cheering and booing, and there seemed to be several skirmishes. (1) In one incident Trump supporter attacked BBC cameraman (2). Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, and members of his far-right armed militia were seen in the front row. Rhodes has expressed willingness to train and form an armed militia to do whatever President Trump wants. (3)

References:

1) President Trump’s campaign rally in El Paso, Texas 11.2.2019, link to Fox News video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/do2YCAGPr4E

2) “Trump supporter attacks BBC cameraman at El Paso rally” BBC News 12.2.2019

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47208909

3) “The founder of this extremist armed militia had a front-row seat to Trump’s rally” Media Matters 12.2.2019

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2019/02/12/founder-extremist-armed-militia-had-front-row-seat-trump-s-rally/222849

USA and far-right Azov Battalion in Ukraine

USA has had military cooperation with radical groups particularly in the Middle East. However, the cooperation with far-right parties and militia groups, such as Azov Battalion, in Ukraine may have been one of the most controversial and it may also backfire handsomely.

The Azov Battalion, or Azov Regiment, is one of many privately-funded volunteer battalions that were formed during the crisis in Ukraine in 2014 (1). Far-right volunteers from different parts of the world joined Azov Battalion. Azov Battalion has benefited from the funding, weapons and training USA has provided for Ukrainian military groups. Azov has gradually developed into a far-right, neo-Nazi movement with street-patrolling militia and own youth camp (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Because of the neo-Nazi element of the battalion, US Congressmen John Conyers and Ted Yoho drew up an amendment to House Defense Appropriations bill in 2015. The amendment “limits arms, training, and other assistance to the neo-Nazi Ukrainian militia, the Azov Battalion” and it was passed unanimously. However, US Department of Defense objected the amendment. The ban to give any kind of support or training to Azov Battalion finally came to force last year. (3, 4)

The Azov Movement and other similar far-right groups and parties have become increasingly severe problem in Ukraine. Their militia groups have been allowed to be some sort of part of law enforcement and they have attacked minority groups, often with impunity. There have also been attacks on anti-fascist groups, city council meetings, media outlets, art exhibitions, foreign students and women’s marches (1, 5).

The Azov Movement also wants to extend its cooperation with other far-right radical groups in Europe and North America. Olena Semenyaka, the international secretary for Azov’s political wing, the National Corps, says that Azov has gained popularity and become “small state in a state” in Ukraine. Semenyaka believes that in the current climate it is possible that far-right leaders can come to power in Europe and Azov wants to form coalitions and be in front of the far-right movement. There has also been more and more cooperation with American neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists. According to FBI, Azov’s military wing is “believed to have participated in training and radicalizing United States-based white supremacy organizations.” (5)

References:

1) “Commentary: Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem” Reuters 19.3.2018

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cohen-ukraine-commentary/commentary-ukraines-neo-nazi-problem-idUSKBN1GV2TY

2) “Foreigners join far-right militias in Ukraine’s fight against rebels” The Irish Times 17.7.2014

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/foreigners-join-far-right-militias-in-ukraine-s-fight-against-rebels-1.1868779

3) “Congress Has Removed a Ban on Funding Neo-Nazis From Its Year-End Spending Bill” The Nation 14.1.2016

https://www.thenation.com/article/congress-has-removed-a-ban-on-funding-neo-nazis-from-its-year-end-spending-bill/

4) “Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis” The Hill 27.3.2018

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/380483-congress-bans-arms-to-controversial-ukrainian-militia-linked-to-neo-nazis

5) “Azov, Ukraine’s Most Prominent Ultranationalist Group, Sets Its Sights On U.S., Europe” Radio Free Europe 14.11.2018

https://www.rferl.org/a/azov-ukraine-s-most-prominent-ultranationalist-group-sets-its-sights-on-u-s-europe/29600564.html

New concerns about the anti-Muslim bias of Trump administration

President Trump has appointed Charles M. Kupperman to assist National Security Advisor John Bolton. The latest appointee has caused more concerns about the anti-Muslim bias of Trump administration. Kupperman served on the board of directors for the Center for Security Policy (CSP) between 2001 and 2010. The CSP and its former director Frank Gaffney Jr. are infamous for their anti-Muslim views (1, 2).

The Trump administration has or has had several members who have connections to Islamophobic organizations or who have expressed strong anti-Muslim sentiment. For example, Bolton himself, Secretary of State Pompeo and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway have ties to the Center for Security Policy (1). Bolton appointed Fred Fleitz, who has been one of Frank Gaffney’s top associates, as chief of staff of the National Security Council (NSC) (2). Fleitz has now become the new President and CEO of the Center for Security Policy (3). Pompeo has also worked closely with Islamophobic organization ACT for America and even received its highest award in 2016 (2). Bolton has also connections to other anti-Muslim conspiracy theorists and Islamophobes, including Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. Bolton has been a chairman of the right-wing anti-Muslim think tank Gatestone Institute and he has reportedly received substantial payments from the think tank (2, 4). President Trump’s senior advisor Stephen Miller, one of the architects of the Muslim immigration ban, started Islamophobic projects and worked with alt-right figure Richard Spencer while studying at Duke University (5). Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson has also expressed strong anti-Muslim views (6).

Some former members of Trump administration with strong anti-Muslim views include former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former deputy national security advisor K.T. McFarland and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon (5, 6).

References:

1) “Trump’s new ‘anti-Muslim’ appointee worries civil rights groups” Al Jazeera 17.1.2019

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/190117160447367.html

2) “Donald Trump’s Team of Islamophobes” The Nation 12.6.2018

https://www.thenation.com/article/donald-trumps-team-islamophobes/

3) Center for Security Policy – Staff:

https://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/about-us/staff/

4) “Trump’s new national security adviser chairs a group that has spread false claims about Muslim refugees in Europe” Business Insider 23.3.2018

https://www.businessinsider.com/john-bolton-gatestone-institute-muslim-refugees-2018-3

5) “The Dark History of the White House Aides Who Crafted Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’” Mother Jones 30.1.2017

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/stephen-bannon-miller-trump-refugee-ban-islamophobia-white-nationalist/

6) “Donald Trump’s administration has seven people who have expressed Islamophobic sentiment” Independent 9.12.2016

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-administration-islamophobic-muslims-muslims-deportation-religious-shariah-law-a7466536.html

Ku Klux Klan in Germany

Daily Sabah reported yesterday that the German authorities have conducted raids in several parts of Germany on suspected members of a far-right group called the National Socialist Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Deutschland. According to authorities, about 40 people are under investigation. The group’s members are suspected of glorifying Nazism and in some cases harboring “violent fantasies” (1).

Quite surprisingly, Ku Klux Klan is not a new addition on the far-right scene in Germany. German journalist Frederick Obermaier has been investigating the Ku Klux Klan in Germany and he has written a book about it (2). Obermaier told in an interview in 2017 that the German authorities have been aware of some KKK activity in Germany for decades. However, the amount of KKK members in Germany has been very small compared to USA. According to Obermaier, there have been “close relations” between US Klan groups and German Klan groups over the past 30 or 40 years. The German groups admire the American Klan and hope to become as big as the KKK in USA (3).

While Obermaier was reporting about the killing spree committed by National Socialist Underground NSU between 2000 and 2007, he found links to the Ku Klux Klan in Germany (3). Süddeutsche Zeitung told in 2016 that the only living member of the NSU terror cell, Beate Zschäbe, had reportedly attended at least two KKK gatherings (4). The NSU murdered 10 people, mostly Turkish immigrants, between 2000 and 2007 (5).

References:

1) “Police probe 40 members of German Ku Klux Klan” Daily Sabah 17.1.2019

https://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2019/01/17/police-probe-40-members-of-german-ku-klux-klan

2) Obermaier, Frederick & Schulz, Tanjev: Kapuzenmänner: Der Ku-Klux-Klan in Deutschland. DTV Premium, Munich 2017.

3) “‘The KKK is active here in Germany'” Deutsche Welle 22.2.2017

https://www.dw.com/en/the-kkk-is-active-here-in-germany/a-37668846

4) “Four Ku Klux Klan groups active in Germany, says govt” The Local.de 25.10.2016

https://www.thelocal.de/20161025/four-ku-klux-klan-groups-in-germany-report-kkk

5) “Neo-Nazi murder gang member jailed for life in Germany” Reuters 11.7.2018

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-farright-trial-verdict/neo-nazi-murder-gang-member-jailed-for-life-in-germany-idUSKBN1K10Y1

Tensions and hate crimes in Brexit Britain

Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has turned out to be a chaotic cliffhanger. Brexit has divided the nation, it has torn apart political parties and even families. Britain has also seen significant rise of far-right populism, xenophobia, racism and hate crimes. According to statistics published by the police in England and Wales, over 94 000 hate crime offences were recorded during 2017/18, an increase of 17 % compared to the previous year. The increase during 2016/17 was even greater, 29 %. The number of hate crimes recorded by the police has more than doubled since 2012/13. Even though the increase can be partially explained by improvements in crime recording by the police, there have been clear “spikes” in hate crime after the EU Referendum in 2016 and after the terrorist attacks in 2017 (1, 2, 3, 4).

One form of far-right populism has been the increasingly aggressive activity against politicians and other people who support the Remain option. Tory MP Anna Soubry was intimidated and abused by British far-right mobsters and supporters of Brexit on Monday. The pro-Brexit protesters called remain-backing Soubry “a Nazi”. Mrs Soubry was harassed and intimidated the same way already in December last year (5). Other people harassed on Monday were journalist Owen Jones from The Guardian and Femi Oluwole, chief spokesperson for Our Future, Our Choice. Mr. Oluwole condemned the abuse and threatening behavior of the pro-Brexit protesters. He added:

“Plenty of people around the country are frustrated with the Brexit process – and all but a tiny minority continue to engage in reasonable democratic debate. This debate is absolutely crucial given the vastly different and country-defining options the UK faces. We must be able to have it without feeling like some options are unacceptable because a tiny minority of people are willing to go further, and shout louder, than everyone else. The answer to the far right cannot be to give in. We have never, and will never, let them dictate the terms of debate. When they argue for less democracy, we must call for more.”

However, Mr. Oluwole also condemned aggressive verbal attacks of far-left activists:

“…there’s a key difference between intense political discourse and gratuitous abuse, no matter where you are on the spectrum.” (6)

References:

1) Hate crime, England and Wales, 2017 to 2018 Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/18

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/748598/hate-crime-1718-hosb2018.pdf

2) “Hate crimes soared after EU referendum, Home Office figures confirm” The Guardian 13.10.2016

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/13/hate-crimes-eu-referendum-home-office-figures-confirm

3) “Hate-crime reports rise by almost a third in a year as Home Office figures illustrate EU-referendum spike” The Independent 17.10.2017

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/hate-crimes-eu-referendum-spike-brexit-terror-attacks-police-home-office-europeans-xenophobia-a8004716.html

4) “Hate crime surge linked to Brexit and 2017 terrorist attacks” The Guardian 16.10.2018

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/16/hate-crime-brexit-terrorist-attacks-england-wales

5) “MPs raise safety fears with police after Anna Soubry subjected to ‘Nazi’ chants” The Guardian 7.1.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/07/john-bercow-urges-police-to-do-more-after-nazi-taunts-against-anna-soubry

6) “I was harassed outside parliament. These thugs must not stifle Brexit debate” The Guardian 9.1.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/09/harassment-mps-parliament-stifle-brexit-debate-femi-oluwole

Katie Hopkins promotes far-right event in Finland

Katie Hopkins, the British poster-girl for far-right, has been promoting far-right event called “Awakening II” which will take place in Finland in April. The event will feature notorious American antisemite Kevin MacDonald and equally notorious American white supremacist Jared Taylor, who also took part to the first “Awakening” conference in Finland, last year (1). The event will also feature Ukrainian far-right activist Olena Semenyaka, Swedish-Icelandic alt-right figure Frodi Midjord, Austrian writer Martin Semlitsch (aka Martin Lichtmesz) and Jasmina Ollikainen, a member of HAPSU, a student association which is a member of the Finns Party Youth, the youth-wing of the Finns Party (2).

Read the full story on Hope not Hate website:

https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2019/01/03/katie-hopkins-promotes-far-right-event-featuring-infamous-antisemite/

Other references:

1)”A secretive far-right event in Helsinki on Sunday: International speakers united by anti-semitism and misogyny” Varisverkosto.com 4.4.2018

https://varisverkosto.com/2018/04/a-secretive-far-right-event-in-helsinki-on-sunday-international-speakers-united-by-anti-semitism-and-misogyny/

2) Information about HAPSU

https://www.ps-nuoret.fi/hapsu/in-english/