The following text has been copied from an article that is part of a series published over on Family Security Matters and I recommend you read it in full.  However it was their reference to the UAF that caught my eye.

 



There are more EDL protests planned and a planned SIOE protest at Harrow. Much as I wish these events would take place in a low-key manner, without the UAF interfering and turning them into near-riots, the protesters are legitimately exercising their democratic rights for freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Maybe the UAF could also "grow up" and sit down with EDL and SIOE members and discuss their differences. Hurling eggs, insults, and inciting young Muslims into violent rage seems a petty – and potentially dangerous - means of dealing with people one does not agree with.


It takes two parties to make a fight. The policies of UAF appear to be aimed at creating violent confrontation, and instead of protecting the Muslim community, the UAF appears to encourage violence of a sort that can easily escalate into a situation that can cost lives. As it is, many young Muslims now are facing criminal charges as a result of UAF's incitements

Even if the UAF is not being deliberately cavalier with the value of people's lives, the fact that it engages in violent confrontation and has published no exhortations on its website for the violence to be "toned down" should be a warning to all. Any of the politicians who have been foolish enough to endorse this group should withdraw their support now or demand that it abandons physical confrontation. By publicly affiliating themselves with UAF, they are publicly defending its tactics of hostile confrontation. David Cameron – the head of the Conservative Party – should be shamed by his party members for supporting street warfare.

Other politicians listed as supporters of UAF are: from the Conservative Party: Peter Bottomley MP for Worthing West C), Edward Garnier MP for Harborough (C), Anthony Steen MP for Totnes (C) and Sir Teddy Taylor, former MP for Rochford and Southend East (C).
For the Liberal Democrats, Alistair Carmichael MP for Orkney and Shetland (LibDem), Paul Tyler former MP for North Cornwall (now in the House of Lords, LibDem) and Mike Hancock MP for Portsmouth South (LibDem). The only non-maintream party members are Adam Price MP for Carmarthen East (Plaid Cymru) and Rev W Martin Smyth former MP for Belfast South (Ulster Unionist).
All the other MPs listed on the UAF website as "supporters" are Labour members. These include some who are now retired. They are: Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London (L), Tony Benn former MP (L) President of the "Stop the War Coalition," Peter Hain MP for Neath (L), David Hanson MP for Delyn (L), Barbara Follett MP for Stevenage (L), Diane Abbott MP for Hackney (L), John Cryer former MP for Hornchurch (L), John Trickett MP for Hemsworth (L), Keith Vaz MP for Leicester East (L), Alice Mahon former MP for Halifax (L now resigned), Alan Meale MP for Mansfield (L), Ian Gibson former MP for Norwich North (L), Harry Cohen MP for Leyton & Wanstead (L), Betty Williams MP for Conway (L), Ken Purchase MP for Wolverhampton Northeast (L), Laura Moffatt MP for Crawley (L), Peter Bradley former MP for Wrekin (L), Vera Baird MP for Redcar (L), Bill Etherington MP for Sunderland North (L), Roger Berry MP for Kingswood (L), Angela Smith MP (L), Brian Iddon MP for Bolton South East (L), Colin Pickthall, former MP for West Lancashire (L retired), Clive Betts MP for Sheffield Attercliffe (L), Janet Anderson MP for Rossendale & Darwen (L), Neil Gerrard MP for Walthamstow (L), Jane Griffiths former MP for Reading East (L, deselected), Brian Donohue MP for Central Ayrshire (L), Helen Clark former MP for Peterborough (L), Terry Davis former MP for Birmingham, ,Hodge Hill (L, resigned), Janet Dean MP for Burton (L), Adrian Bailey MP for West Bromwich West (L), Louise Ellman MP for Liverpool Riverside (L), Eric Illsley MP for Barnsley Central (L), Kelvin Hopkins MP for Luton North (L), Ernie Ross former MP for Dundee West (L), Rob Marris MP for Wolverhampton South West (L), Martin Caton MP for Gower (L), Jim Sheridan MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (L), Martin Jones MP for Clwyd South (L), Colin Challen MP for Morley and Rothwell (L), David Wright MP for Telford (L), Rudi Vis MP for Finchley & Golders Green (L), Tony Worthington former MP for Clydebank & Milngavie (L), Julie Morgan MP for Cardiff North (L), Diana Organ former MP for Forest of Dean (L), Doug Henderson MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne North (L) and Barry Gardiner MP for Brent North (L).

One listed MP who is said to support the UAF - Derek Watts – does not even exist. He could either be Derek Wyatt MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Labour) or Dave Watts, MP for St Helens North (Labour).

Until and unless the Unite Against Fascism group can make a commitment to not encouraging violent confrontation, these politicians named above shame the very name of Britain’s democracy. If British politicians can tacitly approve of tactics of urban warfare carried out in Britain’s cities, they might as well abandon parliament and the rule of law altogether. Giving official sanction to street warfare and conflict is no way to win an argument, and certainly no way to run a country.

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 01 October 2009 16:28 )