The most worrying element of the English Defence League’s rise is their growing support from within ethnic minority communities.
I can understand why angry, working class, white men who go to football matches looking for fights support the EDL, I get why Tea Party activist Rabbi Nachum Shifren recently addressed an EDL rally outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, I even get why the EDL believe what they believe, but what I can’t quite comprehend is why Hindu and Sikh people are supporting the right wing group.
On Facebook the “Hindus who support the English Defence League (EDL)” has been liked by 367 people and the Sikh equivalent has 554 likes. Although not all of these likes are from Hindu and Sikhs, the fact that just groups exist speaks volumes in itself.
Steve Bird of The Times, who did a fantastic piece on the EDL leader Tommy Robinson over the weekend and was part of the panel at a public meeting entitled In Denial? Racism, Islam and the Media a few nights ago, talked of the “incredible juxtaposition” between the current day EDL – with their Jewish contingent, Gay and Lesbian section and support from a small proportion of ethnic minorities – and the National Front of the 1980’s.
But why are ethnic minorities (like Guramit ‘Amit’ Singh who is a poster boy of the EDL and those who joined the above facebook groups) supporting such an extremist organisation?
One answer may lie in the growing adoption of right-wing rhetoric by normal individuals. In other words, ethnic minorities are now using the language that was used against them in the 60’s and 70’s.
The Independent’s Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, the country’s leading Muslim columnist, said: “What is so depressing to me is that Black and Asian people are becoming part of this national conversation about ‘gosh are immigrants awful for this country’”. Alibhai-Brown freely admitted that she had friends and family who used this discourse (as do I) and with this in mind maybe it is not so surprising that ethnic people are willing to support the EDL.
It is a small step from ‘gosh these immigrants are awful’ to ‘look at these Muslim’s ruining our country’. The EDL claim to be “anti-racist” and argue they are just against “Islamic extremism”, and therefore seem appealing to individuals who believe their way of life, safety and jobs are at threat from immigrants and society’s ‘other’.
Let’s also not forget that, due to deep historical divides, many Hindus and Sikhs despise Muslims enough to band together with groups like the EDL.
Another reason could the broad tarnishing of ethnic minorities with the same brush. I talked in an earlier post about how the term ‘British Asian’ clumps together very different groups of people under the same heading, and maybe growing support in the ethnic minority community for the EDL is partly due to this need to distinguish one’s self, the need to show “hey, we are not like them, we are ok”.
I’m no expert on this issue, but the fact that the EDL has any support from ethnic minority communities simultaneously fascinates and scares me. It is a strange, albeit small, phenomena and one that should be monitored, for it seems to me that the more diverse the EDL become the more credible they appear and cycle will be born.
If you are an ethnic minority who supports the EDL please do get in touch with why you do so.
HINDU POWER. Smash ISLAM. This fascist ideology MUST be wiped out from the planet.
i’m a hindu and i support the edl. because this is not about racism, its about defending our freedom. i use to live in indonesia where the majority muslims continue to take away our rights. now living in england i dont want my children to be rob of their freedom by muslims sharia law. those who dont see the threat of islam is living in denial. it will be the fault of gutless people like you with political correctness if sharia take over our lives. Muslim through out history has been wiping out every other cultures in its path.
The largest Hindu group in Canada CANADIAN HINDU ADVOCACY http://www.canhindu.com supports the EDL and joined JDL-Canada in rallies for the EDL. Islam is a fascist ideology which must be wiped out.
CANADIAN HINDU FOR EDL
Yeh but it is now dinner table racism from hindus and sikhs, im hindu but not proud, i think the totally racist behaviour from them towards other ethnic minorties is sick! And since when is Mark Collett the BNP no 2 says churchil was a cunt for making white people fight white people is patriotic? supporting the ideology which many british servicemen died for patriotic, this country is full of confused and ignorant morons!
So your not a proud Hindu and hate the BNP, but happy to be an Asian? Struggling to understand your stance on life. Do you want to clarify for me?
Agree that dinner table racism does go on in all communities across the country and it is a shame that it does. However, it is groups like the BNP that are making it worse, they are trying to foster division instead of promoting unity.
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Well I think patriotism in its ugliest chauvinistic form (ie. the EDL/BNP etc) can only ever be regressive/destructive.. I think a bit of good natured ‘patriotism’ is fine for sporting occasions (but it’s not really patriotism is it? it’s just wanting your team to win), but as a political ideology, patriotism is dangerous (see attitudes in America towards non-Americans, or the unthinking devotion of North Koreans).. Having pride in your country is fine, so long as that pride is for its tolerance/progressiveness/open-mindedness etc, not some abstract idea of ‘being English’ that is based on maps and flags.
The EDL are racist scum bags (see any of their protest rallies for evidence) who have warped ideas of patriotism – which is an ambiguous/problematic concept itself.. what is patriotism? having a love for your country, or hating people who are not indigenous to your own country? What does it mean to be English anyway? Nothing. It’s just lines drawn on a map/a big rock in the sea. Blind allegiance to one’s flag (or one’s religion) is at the root of most conflict/irrational belief. Much better we look beyond these cultural symbols as a way of defining ourselves against others, and accept that we are all basically the same collection of bones and bullshit irrespective of geography, skin colour or religious preference.
“Warped” is exactly right mate. They have created their own sense of reality, but are completely detached from the real world.
You raise some interesting points about patriotism – what do you think it is? I think you can be patriotic, you can have pride in your country and people, but you need to recognize that a country like England is, and historically has been, diverse.
If you honestly believe that an organisation such as the EDL cannot accept people of other ethnic backgrounds then i think you are deluding yourself, The parameters of the EDL are there to see for yourself, Black and white unite into a good Patriotic organisation
“Black and white unite in a Patriotic organisation”, really? I think you are deluding yourself if you think the EDL is patriotic. If it was so patriotic then it would be getting widespread support instead widespread condemnation. Let us not forget that David Cameron publically condemned the EDL, so I find it hard to see an argument for them being patriotic.
Nazi salutes from EDL members is not patriotic you fucking mong!
If you want to express yourself. Please do it in an acceptable way. I am happy to let you have your say, but respect other people’s views or I will just remove your comments and the world wont what you have to say.