Some of those who shamelessly profit from using race hate to demonise others are not big enough to say sorry, content merely to sling the mud at those unable to defend themselves. And their number, I suspect, now includes the Community Security Trust.
The CST’s now infamous report Engine Of Hate, which Zelo Street covered yesterday, claimed to have identified 36 Twitter accounts that it suggested were the “engine room”, the providers of fuel to the boilers of hatred. But very soon a problem entered, although, like that apology, the CST has not admitted it to be a problem, or even worthy of comment.
Those 36 Twitter accounts were selected party because they used hashtags like #GTTO (Get The Tories Out). This has, let us not drive it around the houses for too long, nothing whatsoever to do with anti-Semitism. One might have thought that the CST, if it wanted to demonstrate anti-Semitism, would not use such criteria.
So the trawl for suitable Twitter users to demonise caught accounts such as that run by Rachael Cousins, and even Scouse Girl Media, which is run by a Labour activist from Merseyside. Also caught was a Tweeter from the South West called Cornish Damo. None of these accounts indulges in anti-Semitism. None of them. At all.
It gets worse: the CST has then used, as if this were some kind of clincher to demonstrate that those it had identified were bang to rights, any hostility to Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson as further evidence that it has not only caught, but demonstrated, anti-Semitic intent. But those who oppose Watson do not demonstrate anti-Semitic intent, or indeed any anti-Semitism at all, by so doing. Shaun Lawson picked up on this very quickly.
As he put it, “The CST appear to be suggesting that you're 'antisemitic' if you’ve: 1. Angrily criticised Rachel Riley … 2. Angrily criticised Tom Watson … 3. Used the hashtag GTTO (Get The Tories Out) … 4. Referred to what al-Jazeera exposed in their film, The Lobby … 5. Criticised Luciana Berger”. The CST needs to take on board that complaints against The Lobby of anti-Semitism and breach of impartiality were dismissed by Ofcom.
But mention of The Lobby, and indeed any of the criteria identified by Shaun Lawson, means Labour activists who have not indulged in anti-Semitism are now being lumped in with individuals who have. While the CST continues to ignore calls for corrections and retractions, the mud they have slung continues to stick. That is the worst part.
And now has come the CST’s admission that only 12 of the 36 Twitter accounts it both identified and named have posted anti-Semitic Tweets. The group has needlessly defamed 24 individuals. It hasn’t retracted or apologised. And it appears unwilling to do so.
So Damo, Rachael Cousins and Scouse Girl Media are left to try and defend themselves as best they can, fearful of being attacked online, or worse, tracked down and attacked physically, while those who hang on the CST’s every word as if it were unvarnished fact compound the smear. As the Tweeter known as Jews Sans Frontières put it, “[the CST’s] Dave Rich's redbaiting even extends to Holocaust victims”.
The thought occurs that the CST may have selected some of its targets, knowing they did not have the means to go to law in order to defend themselves. That only makes it worse.
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According to the official Parliament website the Labour Party membership stood at 512,000 at February this year.
ReplyDeleteEven if all the CST allegations were true - WHICH THEY AREN'T - it is only necessary to do the maths to judge the context of the matter. Needless to say, none of corporate media will get their "fact check" teams onto it.
Nor will Watson, Benn, Mann, Cooper, Hodge or any of the other right wing stooges stand in defence. Their cowardice and lies are just as shameful. They will NEVER be forgiven. If they had any sense of decency they would get out of the party they have so roundly betrayed.
This smear campaign is now so obvious it is utterly farcical and disgusting even by right wing "standards".
Dear Zelo ,
ReplyDeleteI’m currently engaged with correspondence in the second stage of the BBC Complaints Procedure , in respect of my complaint about Panorama’s infamous ‘Is Labour Anti-Semitic’ mockumentary , in particular the focus on the Labour Party for anti-semitism . I’ve received the pathetic and transparent distractive reply , referring me to the BBC’s work to expose ‘Islamophobia’ in the Tory Party as some sort of ‘balance’ . Given the announcement today that the Tory Party is going to investigate ‘Islamophobia’ in it’s ranks , that looks like the latest move in the smear war , Labour=Anti-Semitic(doing nothing) v Tory=Islamophobic(earnest efforts) .
The suggestion that a largely enlightened British electorate wants to get involved in the faith based racism of these ME monotheistic cult’s is preposterous , but being British our inclination is to be polite and not call them out . Really how many British citizens believe like the Zionists following the Torah that Israeli Jews have a God-given Right to Palestine , or following some readings of the Quran that everybody should follow Sharia Law . It’s absolutely NOT our quarrel ,
Derek
Using the CST's 'Engine of Hate' technique, but applying it to emails rather than Twitter, there is a link on utility companies to Tommy Robinson and the Church of England.
ReplyDeleteThanks for continuing to cover this Zelo Street, its appreciated more than you know x
ReplyDelete