The BNP is correct in linking heroin to muslim pushers. I'm not sure that using a photograph of a person, even if in the public domain, is good policy unless the parents had agreed. As the parents don't agree, the BNP should withdraw the pamphlets.

Allan,

It would be interesting to understand the information the BNP has on Muslim drug dealers. I'm not saying that they are wrong to point out that there is a problem here, it would be good to have it openly debated with full disclosure of data.

I had the uncomfortable dark thought that the deceased in the photo might actually be facing Mecca, and that was their little dig.

I've no idea what the Muslim drug trade is compared to the non-Muslim drug trade in the UK. Somehow, I suspect the BNP doesn't either.

The Stephen Nolan Program at Radio 5 Live had the parents and the BNP's Simon Darby in a joint discussion, which starts about seventy minutes in.

I gave my view of the discussion at Simon Darby's blog. I would be interested to know of ATW's perception of this discussion.

Are the BNP only concerned about drug dealers when they are not white natives.?

Out of simple basic decency, the BNP should have asked the family's permission before using their dead daughter's picture in a piece of printed political propaganda. It is irrelevant that this picture was already in public as part of a news story.

Vultures come to mind.

Daphne

The picture is a very famous one here in the UK and has been used very widely. Personally, my main objection to the BNPs use of it is that they simply want to use it to link it however tenuously with their only obsession - race/sectarian politics.

Bert, I only listened to small snippets from Nolan, but it seems to me that the BNP reps were pushed on their back feet from the get-go. It seems that that Pauline lady was disgusted at even being on the same programme, much less debate the BNP's contention that south-asian immigrants have formed a drug-dealing mafia in Britian.

I'll continue too listen.....

Ok, I'm more up to speed now. Pauline is the girl's mother I think.

The picture was put into the public domain by the parents. The BNP need not their permission to use it, any more that David did on ATW.

Thanks for the broader perspective Colm.
I still think it's tasteless.

Didn't the UK have heroin drug cartels/importers back in the 70's before the massive influx of immigrants? The south asians may very well be running drug cartels, but I bet somebody was offering that same service before they arrived en masse.

Daphne

Of course we have had lots of native white 'christian' drug dealers in the UK for decades. We didn't need to wait for Muslim populations to settle here before heroin was available for sale, but that's the only drug dealers the BNP seem bothered about.

The BNP's contention on Nolan that since most of Europe's heroin comes from Afganistan, saying that muslims are bringing it in and dealing it is not far-fetched.

It would be like an American being disgusted that a right wing party was implicating Colombians for cocaine distribution in the US!

Not true Charles. While it is undoubtedly the case that the heroin is being bought from farmers in Afghanistan which happens to be a Muslim country , it's transportation and distribution throughout Europe and the west in general is something that criminals fromm every race and background have been involved in, and I have no doubt that the vast majority of those criminals who have sold and pushed heroin to addicts within western countries are not Muslims. This simply isn't an issue of religion , any more than the Columbian drug trade can be blamed on Catholicism. It just a geographical climate issue that determins where different drugs are best cultivated.

Your right Charles, that's not far-fetched at all. I'm sure it's even somewhat factual. But I tend to be very skeptical when a political party chooses one aspect of a large problem to scapegoat in order to attract votes.

and I have no doubt that the vast majority of those criminals who have sold and pushed heroin to addicts within western countries are not Muslims.

I think you base that on your own goodness and sense of fairness Colm. I don't know what's going on in Britian to be sure, but just b/c the BNP says it doesn't means it's wrong.

We have a heroin problem here in Dallas, and a Mexican mafia is running it, fact. So the BNP saying that a certain group is doing it in your country rings true to me.

Now that I agree with Daphne!

Charles

Well I have lived all my life in the UK and read hundreds of news stories about victims and pushers of heroin, as well as seeing some of it in my own neighborhood and through evidence from other people I have known in my life and I would say that the business is a real 'equal opportunities' one. It isn't a case of me just trying to be fair, and undoubtedly there probably is a high proportion of Pakistani involvment in the trade in cities with high Pakistani communities, but it is simply untrue to say that the business is dominated in the UK by criminals from Muslim communities.

The issue here is really immigration, not drugs.

As an example, Mexican illegals here are blamed for rising crime, increased welfare & social costs, gangs, drugs, rape, car accidents, etc. Is this true? Somewhat yes. Are they responsible, well yes, but the people ultimately responsible for them even being here in the first place are the US elected officials and the Mexican government. If the US had said NO and enforced our laws, we wouldn't be having these issues. If the Mexican government wasn't an irresponsible cesspool of corruption, their people would stay home.

They come to work, most are good people with no options in Mexico.

The UK immigration problems ultimately reside with your elected officials and the heavy welfare state you've chosen. You need workers to fill the state coffers for welfare redistribution since you stopped having enough replacement babies to fund all of your benefits. You may not like the types of people your leaders have welcomed, but you're not in a position to complain since they are keeping your financial boat afloat.

Does the BNP advocate cutting off your benefits or just your immigrants?

First of all, Daphne, you left out one group to blame for illegal immigration in the USA: the employers of the illegal aliens. It's just like the drug problem: cut of the demand and the supply will dry up.

Charles and Colm are giving data from personal experience, and I beleive both of them: the Mexicans run the drug trade in Dallas and the Muslims don't run the drug trade in (name a city in the UK).

Drug dealers are found within the whole spectrum of British society and geneaology (spelt that wrong, I think), it is not a predominantly Muslim issue. As such, it is misleading if the BNP seek to link this issue solely to Muslims.

Colm, Well said, and I will defer to your expertise in this area. Heroin and drugs in general is a scourge on both our societies, and I tend towards the Singapore method of punishment for pushing drugs.

You're right Alan, I did - thanks for that very important addition!

Looks like we're all in agreement that the BNP is blowing smoke on this issue to scare up support.

Thanks to Bert for the link to Nolan. It was a very interesting show, and I think that Nolan handled it pretty fairly, esp. with the callers afterwards.

Also, reading on Simon's blog, some supporters said that the BNP, even though legally in the right with the photo, could have done themselves some good PR work, by withdrawing the photo on the Mum's wishes.