It’s been a tough couple of weeks for the EDL. Last month’s attempt to unify Europe’s anti-Islamic groups – a pan-European coalition of idiots, if you will – in a “summit” in Denmark’s second city, Aarhus, was a bit of a washout, with media and spectators easily outnumbering the supporters. But while it’s easy to laugh at EDL’s failures and jokes on Twitter, everyone knows laughter is only the best medicine when the illness isn’t terminal.
From the piece:
Anders Behring Breivik is on trial for the murder of 77 people in Norway and his links to our very own far-right group are clear from his “manifesto”: “I … have spoken with tens of EDL members and leaders,” he wrote. “In fact, I was one of the individuals who supplied them with processed ideological material (including rhetorical strategies) in the very beginning.” And a recently published report by anti-racism group Hope Not Hate found that the “counter-jihad movement” – a network of foundations, bloggers, political activists and street gangs – was flourishing in Europe and abroad.[…]
So while the laughter is a good starting point – as pointed out by Flavia Dzodan in her article on the hidden networks of hate in the EU – more needs to be done and said.
Go read the piece, which is great, not only because it’s about one of my “pet topics” but because it sheds light on how people have reacted to this hatred by taking Twitter by storm.
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