Recently the Guardian published a video on its website, which exposed the plans of the English Defence League (EDL), a far-right extremist group. The EDL has been established for just under a year, and its demonstrations routinely attract several thousand supporters. Whilst I applaud the Guardian for exposing the power and the threat that the EDL poses, the fact that the Guardian can claim it has ‘uncovered’ the EDL, after a year of often quite violent protests, shows the degree to which the mainstream press has ignored the rapidly growing movement in the last year. The reaction of the Guardian, and the students who I have discussed the video with go some way to explain why so many young, disenfranchised people support the EDL.
The sentiments expressed by EDL supporters in the video are extremely distasteful and distressing, it shows young, mostly white, mostly male, individuals expressing their hatred towards ‘Asians’ who they feel are ‘taking over’ and threatening their way of life. Although it might be expected that in York, part of the Yorkshire area which elected a BNP MEP, students may be aware of the threat of the far right, everyone I have discussed the video with seemed shocked and astonished at the feelings that supporters of the EDL expressed.
It is frankly terrifying that students, at one of the country’s top Universities, who one would assume take an interest in current affairs are shocked and surprised by feelings that are strong enough and widespread enough, to frequently bring thousands of people onto the streets.
This ignorance is not limited to students, upon speaking to supporters of the EDL, it is clear that a wider unawareness of their feelings cause many people to support the EDL. One supporter told me that he feels the English are an ‘ignored people, we are like foreigners in our own country, there are no jobs, you can’t get seen in the hospitals because they are full of Asians, and nobody dare say anything about it. That is why we need the EDL.’ Another supporter claimed that, ‘nobody listens to us, all my family have always voted Labour but what good has it done us.’ Although the fears and beliefs of the many EDL supporters may be false and they display what can be seen to be ill-founded or misguided beliefs, mainstream politicians, and the media have been too quick to disregard the concerns of vast swathes of people who feel abandoned by Westminster politics, and have subsequently become frustrated and angry.
In such a situation people can often look for a scapegoat for their problems, and as Robert Lambert and Jonathan Githens-Mazer co-directors of the European Muslim Research centre claim, since 9/11 some sections of the media have made it far too easy to label those Muslims who do not wish to compromise their beliefs as ‘extremists’ and ‘terrorists’ who wish England to become an Islamic state, and who are favoured by the government ahead of ‘English’ people.
However, mainstream politicians and the mainstream media have been too quick to ignore or scorn these accusations, and consequently those that believe in them. David Cameron has described supporters of the EDL as ‘dreadful people’, comments such as these do little more than exacerbate the feeling of isolation and helplessness of those who sympathise with the views of the EDL. What is needed is an honest, full debate, on the reasons that lie behind the support of the EDL. This would go some way to disprove the rumours and lies spread by the EDL and those in the press who feed its fires, and also re-engage those supporters of the EDL who feel ignored by mainstream politics.
The EDL will not go away by ignoring and dismissing it, immigration and multiculturalism have had a extremely positive impact on British society, however, in some parts of the country there has been undeniable mistakes in its implementation. Many cities have been left deeply divided and polarised. In the segregation that this creates; distrust, ignorance and fear have developed, and this has become particularly focused on Islam. It is these feelings that drive people to organisations such as the EDL and it is only by addressing their concerns head on that the EDL and similar movements that will inevitable follow it, will be starved of supporters.
Salam,
I come from Pakistan and I chose to come to the UK because I recognize the faults of my own goverment and want state to be sepreated from Islam as I practice it freely in this wonderful and peaceful country. The EDL are showing what the common british thinks and that is because exterimism has no real opposition here.
I personally am greatful for the EDL. We should speak more against those who want to use Islam and Muslims to do their sick biddings and create blood shed. It’s has nothing to do with “holy”. We should create a muslim coallition to condemn every act of muslim extrimists because not saying anything is agreeing silently!
@Salim,
The EDL do not speak for the common British, they speak for a very small minority.
You should also not be grateful for the EDL speaking out against Muslim extremism and the bloodshed caused because of it, all mainstream politic parties speak out against this kind of extremism, what many followers of the EDL believe is that the entire Muslim faith as something that is wrong and should not be part of Britain, so far from protecting your faith from extremism they are helping to label all followers of Islam as extremists, which is a very dangerous thing to do for many areas of Britain.