SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 03/08/05
SSP warns of racist and Islamophobic violence after Tory remarks
Scottish Socialist Party national convenor Colin Fox tonight warned of a tidal wave of Islamophobic and racist violence as a result of comments being made by politicians and inflammatory material published in the press.
Colin was speaking on the eve of a visit by Scottish ministers to Glasgow Central Mosque to meet leaders of the Muslim community in Scotland.
Colin said that comments by Gerald Howarth, the shadow defence minister, were identical to those espoused by the racist British National Party.
The Tory politician was reported as saying that “If they don't like our way of life, there is a simple remedy: go to another country, get out.”
The Scottish Socialist Party has written to Muslim and ethnic minority organisations across Scotland offering support and solidarity and pledging to continue its campaigning efforts against the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, against racism, for the defence of civil rights and for peace and justice.
Colin said;
“Every politician who makes the kind of remarks that Gerald Howarth did must share responsibility for the massive upsurge in racist and Islamophobic violence over the past weeks.
“These kind of remarks are fuelling hatred on our streets and giving racist thugs the respectable cover they need to carry out attacks in broad daylight such as the one on two Asian men in Leith last week.
“It is absolutely outrageous that a Tory shadow minister should be espousing ideas that are identical to the racist British National Party.
“We are also hearing demands that people should swear allegiance to Great Britain to prove that they are loyal citizens.
“This is absolute nonsense.
“Along with hundreds of thousands of Scots, Irish and Welsh, I too do not wish to be associated with ‘Britishness’; does that mean that the Conservative Party want to see us deported ?
“There is a very real danger that the racist and Islamophobic remarks of politicians along with inflammatory material in certain sections of the press will launch a tidal wave of violence against our ethnic minority communities.
“The Scottish Socialist Party pledges to stand alongside Scotland’s Muslim and ethnic minority communities against racism and Islamophobia and to continue our campaigns against the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq and in defence of our civil rights and for peace and justice.”
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