For the next instalment of the unguarded views of Respect party members aired in such places as Facebook, allow me to introduce Abul “Abz” Hussain. According to his homepage and this link, Abul is a member of Respect’s National Council and as such a very senior figure within George Galloway’s party, which is backing Lutfur Rahman for Tower Hamlets mayor. Respect commenter Prinkipo Exile made the point on this thread that:
Respect has always opposed anti-semitism and its leader Salma Yaqoob stepped out of line within the muslim community for opposing the boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day by the very establishment oriented Muslim Council of Britain.
Whether you agree with Salma Yaqoob’s views or not, she always seems to be a woman of integrity and principle. So I wonder what she and Prinkipo Exile will make of the following discussion on Abul’s Facebook site last week:
Abul ‘Abz’ Hussain feels like growing a moustache…hmmmm….
Abul ‘Abz’ Hussain I should have put u on that convoy to Gaza, could have traded the Jew with the Israelis to let the aid through, but then again they’d probably reject u as ur too much of a jew by their standards!
Silly kids messing around is one thing, but Abul Hussain is a national council member and policy maker for Respect, whose founding principles include anti-racism.
I dont think there is anything anti-semetic/racist about what this private and personal conversation between him and his friends because they are talking about what he would look like having a mostache or a beard and then refer to being like a mexican, actor salman khan or a orthodox jew/israeli.
My worry is when comments on this forum seem to mainly target Respect and the Bangladeshi community activists in Tower Hamlets. I wonder if there is some racisms behind the intention of these attacks???
Why post anonymously then accuse people of racism while excusing the anti-semetic remarks above? Are you suggesting that all Jews count pennies and hoard money? The conversation above reminded me of the propaganda in Germany as the Nazis moved towards the final solution. Yet, you say there’s nothing wrong with it?
what about the Islamophobia sweeping the world. Who speaks out against it? Why is it that no one speaks out when the media and everyone portrays Muslims as extremists?
Somehow Pastor Jones was part of a fringe group, but if it was a Muslim threatening to burn the Bible, he’s an extremist Muslim. Didnt hear the words extremist Christian anywhere re Pastor Jones?
btw religious discrimination of all form is completely unacceptable.
Samera (below)
Pastor Jones – an obscure fraudster, with a congregation of 40 people – was condemned internationally, starting from the top with Obama, down. Excepting the lunatic anti Muslim fringe, even US right wing pundits attacked him as a lunatic and provocateur.
Let’s put to one side the sort of thing that happens in many Muslim majority states – burnings of books, flags, riots about cartoons, teddy bears, and so on. In Tower Hamlets, the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre is the venue for meetings where hatred of minority groups – particularly gay people – is routinely pushed. The LMC has even held meetings where Anwar Al Awlaki, who is an Al Qaeda member, has spoken.
So, in answer to your question:
– yes, Pastor Jones was demonstrably part of a fringe group consisting essentially of him.
– however, the ELM/LMC is a huge institution at the centre of Tower Hamlets life, which is absolutely mainstream.
This is pretty disgusting stuff. There’s no way you could read this as being anything other than anti-semitism.
What makes me so uneasy is that Lutfur Rahman is standing as an independent candidate with the “backing” of Respect. But he has no backing of any other political party, as far as I know. So he is effectively the Respect candidate. And this is what they’re like.
Just becuase one person may be anti-senetic does not mean to say everyone is or should be tarred with the same brush. If someone in the Conservative party made such a remark I wouldnt say the whole party is anti-semitic, but the individual concerned. Same goes with racism within the police force. It seems like this is a concerted effort to smear Respect as a whole. By all means, scutinise indoviduals but dont use it as a hammer to smear the whole party just because you may not like them. As Ted pointed out in his last line, one of the party’s founding principles is anti-semitism.
It’s anti Semitic be use it evokes vicious age old stereotypes about money and Jewish money lending. This is absolutely clear and un deniable
It also uses “Jew” as an insult.
I can’t believe that Respect will tolerate this sort of racism in its ranks.
Anonymous, how can u possibly defend this? It may be personal, but that in some way makes it worse! Knowing that a senior political figure “personally” thinks this, someone who is a policy maker for a national party, makes me think he may want membership in the BNP!
Disgraceful stuff!
So I guess it is only racist/anti-semetic that Jewish streotypes are being used by its not racist because of the use of a mexican streotype or a indian actor as a steroetype?
This article is a clear indication of Ted’s vehement assualt and attack on Respect because of ulterior motives (along side his good friend Gilligan). This is not journalism to conflate something without seeking to get a clarification on a person’s view on what they have said. This is called GUTTER JOURNALISM!
The decent thing Ted could have done was to interview/talk to the concerned Respect activist before writing an article. This type of article is typical of journalists who want to help us make up our minds and character assisinate people for their own political and personal interests!
… in addition. I am not justifying stereotypes being used by people. Streotypes are generally very distastful, but people often use them in jokes in a jesting manner (as in the case above) but does not mean that makes a person racist or anti-semetic. The issue here is the motives behind the article without seeking clarification.
That’s a lie. You are trying to justify racism. Only racists do that.
The comments of Abul Hussain are clearly racist and anti-semitic, and the criticisms are perfectly reasonable.
Anyone who would make the comment “jews like u are boring so find everything lame, here’s a penny go put it in the bank and u just might get a pound after ten years interest!” is a vile Nazi who has no place in respectable politics.
“Anonymous” seems to take the perverse view that any criticism of a Bangladehi person, however reasonable and measured, is racist; whereas unreasonable abuse of Jews is not racist!
Please let me know tomorrow whether Abul Hussain has been removed from Respct’s National Council – and if not, why not.
for your information, this is a copy of an e-mail I have sent to Respect:
This is a comment made by Abul Hussain on his facebook page
“jews like u are boring so find everything lame, here’s a penny go put it in the bank and u just might get a pound after ten years interest!”
I understand that Abul Hussain is a member of your National Council.
Please confirm whether Respect would consider this to be an appropriate comment from a National Council member of an anti-racist party.
Please also let me know what steps you have taken to address this matter.
Andy – what my view that Abul Hussain’s comment is distasteful is perverse? You are a very confused person!
I am highlighting the political motives behind this article and various others which Ted and Gilligan coble together in order maybe live upto the expectionations of their employers? READ BETWEEN THE LINES of these articles people!
I have no doubt that if the Conservative or Lib Dem (or Labour) candidate for TH Mayor, or one of their sernior supporters or colleagues had made comments like this then it would also be covered in this blog.
Fact is only individuals associated with Respect appear to have made such anti-semitic comments which is why those individuals are being highlighted. The fact that more than one person who is closely associated with that party has made the comments is why there are questions being raised about whether Respect as a whole tends towards anti-semitism.
“Anonymous” – a quick reminder of your own comment:
“I dont think there is anything anti-semetic/racist about what this private and personal conversation between him and his friends”.
You seem to be the one who is confused!
Ted and Andrew Gilligan: tweedle de and tweedle dumb
civil partnership maybe?
Is that an anti-gay joke, then? It is, isn’t it?
So, unsurprisingly, we can add homophobia to the list of hatreds pushed by supporters of Respect.
I’m glad you have exposed this Ted this chap was a council candidate for Respect in the May elections in Stepney as well I think.
George Galloway robustly addressed some equally “private” remarks made by the labour chair at the time. If he doesn’t act in the same way over this it’s’disgusting hypocrisy.
Don’t think that the remarks were made by the Labour Chair.
There were some remarks about “pork scratchings” posted by other users of his Facebook page, which were clearly abusive. But they were not posted by the Chair, who removed them, and condemned them.
This is completely different. This are remarks by Hussain himself.
Hi,
I’m a respect supporter and a supporter of party leader Salma Yaqoob. This is definitely and clearly anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish regardless of intent.
All major and minor political parties have within them individuals who sometimes say the wrong things and these slurs should rightly not be tolerated. The question now is how the Respect party will react and I hope it is positively against this kind of behaviour.
I do not believe this person’s actions are in accordance with the party’s and he should either sincerely apologise and rectify his mistakes or leave the party if these are his true views.
I find two things objectionable in the posts quoted.
One is the use of the word “bitch” by one of the posters. Although I am aware that some black and young people use the term as a highly generalised term of abuse, it is basically an extremely derogatory phrase about women that I find unacceptable. If I had a website with it on I would delete it as an unacceptable use of language.
The other is the ‘jokey’ line about jews being money lenders and turning a penny into a pound. This is poor taste but I think it is a somewhat extreme step to characterise it as out and out “anti-semitism”. You would have to have done the same thing with many respected people in the past, including William Shakespeare of course. It’s certainly not even vaguely comparable with the crude anti-semitism of fascist organisations or the nazis. If I had come across it from anyone I would have a quiet word and suggest it was highly inappropriate.
In terms of its impact on the public, I’m more concerned that porn baron Richard Desmond, is trying to buy respectability for his legalised denigration of women by owning the Express Newspaper that you work for Ted.
Talking of Mr Desmond I see that one of his more downmarket publications and ‘sister paper’ of the Daily Express, the Daily Star, has today been severely criticised by the Press Complaints Commission for an extreme anti-muslim article.
http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=NjY0MA==
Given that the circulation of such newspapers is way beyond any Facebook page by a Respect member, and given that as a one time NUJ FoC you are clearly concerned about racism, Ted, your time as an employee of Mr Desmond’s might be better spent exposing the racism within his newspapers that has a far wider impact on society and racism in society, than schoolboy level jokes on an obscure website?
Classic. This tells you all you need to know about Respect rank and file.
“Jokes” about Jews being obsessed with making money is the mainstay of racism. You wouldn’t say that it was acceptable to make jokes about black people and rape, would you?
Interesting to see that you have no problem with “Jew” being used as an insult.
Let’s see if the Respect leadership can recognise racism. I’d hope that at least George Galloway could.
The conversation daft and some racist remarks are made. But it is a private one and not necessarily malicious.
A pertinent question:
How did Ted Jeory come upon this private conversation?
Facebook really do need to tighten up their security when Dirty Des’s snoops can hack in so easily.
The fact is most comments to posts are not only visible to all your Facebook friends, but also to friends of friends. Ted probably just clicked on his profile (or got a tip off from someone who did). If Mr Abul Hussain wants to conduct his petty Jew-baiting antics in private he needs to tighten up his settings.
Well its hardly “the Protocols of Zion” let alone “Mein Kampf”. But this sort of low level anti-semitism and stereotyping of Jews is unfortunately only too common in the middle east and across the Muslim world. However to encounter it on the Facebook page of a British politicial. Even one from a a no-count fringe Party like Respect is not to be tolerated. Will Respect remove him from their National Council? From past experience I’m not holding my breath.
*politician
Concerned is a silly person and has not addressed the central Q sos why pastor jones was not called a ‘Christian extremist.
Yes and so is the pope but neither of them is involved in LBTH politics
People did. Here’s a columnist in the Washington Post, which is the equivalent of The Times
http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/sally_quinn/2010/09/the_notorious_pastor_terry_jones.html
Here is the specific quote:
“If even one American is killed because of Pastor Jones’s actions, how will they feel about a Christian extremist imperiling the lives of their own countrymen? It is sad that one narrow minded, exclusive and destructive man with so few followers could wrongly appear to represent a country and a religion.”
stupid person it hasnt stuck.
[…] action on anti-Jewish tirade Following my post yesterday about Abul “Abz” Hussain and his charming banter on Facebook (“I should have put u on that convoy to Gaza, could have traded the Jew with the Israelis to […]
Salma Yaqoob’s official response condemning the individual and anti-Semitism. She officially stands against racism, bigotry, homophobia and sexism. She says:
“I can’t stand racism. It rots the core of our humanity. It is the tool of those who seek to divide and rule. It especially angers me when people who have been victims of bigotry themselves, and who know what that feels like, make bigoted remarks against others. I won’t tolerate it, and neither will the Respect party.
I completely endorse the decision of our national officers to expel the member in question with immediate effect.”
Link: http://www.salmayaqoob.com/2010/09/injury-to-one-is-injury-to-all.html
Blimey, I’m impressed how swiftly Respect acted. Was it something you said Ted?🙂
[…] of the part Jew-mocking and hating plays in Tower Hamlets politics. Ted Jeory’s reports are here and here. Will Lutfur Rahman disassociate himself from such attitudes, whether expressed by Abul […]