The EDL: the other extremists

Who are the English Defence League (EDL) and what do they want? They claim to be against radical Islam, and or  extremism but at every opportunity their leadership and members denounce Islam as an evil religion.

It is difficult to pin down exactly how many members the EDL has. Estimates range from 25, 000 to 100, 000 on Facebook the number of supporters went from a few hundred to 75,000 in the week that Lee Rigby was killed. There are no membership cards or fees/subs to join the movement. They are fluid in terms of membership and have open requirement.

They began in Luton as ‘United Peoples of Luton’, they were formed in opposition to the now banned Al-Muhajiroun, who held a demonstration against a British regiment who has returned from Afghanistan and were holding a parade to celebrate their return.

They eventually expanded and went across the country, the profile of who makes up their members is mixed too. Many of their members are ex-BNP and other far right groups; however, many of their members did not belong to either the BNP or other far-right groups. A substantive number of EDL members has criminal records, and its leadership has links to football hooliganism.

Tommy Robinson, who is one of the founders of the EDL, was himself given a 12-month community rehabilitation order and a three-year football match ban for his involvement in football hooliganism in 2011. He was also convicted of fraud and being an illegal immigrant when he entered the USA on a false passport.

But the EDL does have a few followers in the Armed Forces; they have a special branch for servicemen and ex-servicemen, within the EDL. The Daily Star printed pictures of a soldier in Afghanistan posing with EDL flags and symbols. However, it is also true that the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity rejected and donations from the EDL. The group claim that it also has LGBT, Jewish and a Hindu Division. Their Hindu division has fewer than 3,000 likes on Facebook, but it is hard to tell what percentage of the 3,000 likes is actually by Hindus.

A study done in March this year, by Matthew Goodwin of Chatham House, showed that EDL members were likely to be employed, middle-aged white men and not unemployed young white men. In fact, the under 20s showed the lowest number of sympathisers with the EDL. Some of EDL’s members were in junior management positions in companies. The study goes on to chart the views of EDL members. Most EDL supporters do not fit into the classical racist stereotype (Biological racism and white supremacy) they are; it is argued a product of post 9/11 Islamaphobia.

Muslims are the main target of the EDL however, the concerns about Muslims extend to concerns over immigration. But as racist opportunists they will seize upon any racial element, as they did in Edmonton when a crime was committed by a young African. They tend to place Immigration and the European Union above economic concerns. Fear of immigration extends to other groups and not just Muslims- they use national anxiety of a Muslim presence as a veiled attack on immigration from all groups including Eastern Europe.

They claim that Muslims and immigrants get more help from the government than ‘native’ white people. They site the incompatibility of Immigrants and Muslims with the British way of life, and that they are a threat to ‘white culture’. Because of these fears, most of their members see violence as justifiable, as it is defence against other cultures according to the study. Not unlike the BNP many of their supporters strongly believe that a race war is coming, others would argue it is them and the Islamic extremist who are willing a race/religious war to occur.

For too long the British media accepted the EDL as a legitimate political organisation working within democratic principals of tolerance and non-violence and not stirring up racial hatred. But with the catalogue of criminal and race hate convictions the EDL has been exposed for what it is. A religious and race hate filled organisation, with extremist views, which seek to sew division and violence wherever it goes.

The rejection by the Hope for Heroes’ campaign should be a clear message that they do not speak for the brave men and women who serve our nation, they, not unlike the BNP only speak for bigotry, hated and extremism.

This weekend the EDL plan over 60 anti-Islamic marches. The BNP had their planed march that would ended outside a Mosque in Woolwich, moved to central London.

Usman Butt.