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US bloggers banned from entering UK
(The Independent) – Two of the people behind a campaign against the building of the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York have been barred from entering Britain to speak at an English Defence League rally in London this weekend, it has been announced.
The Home Secretary Theresa May has told Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, both of the anti-Islamic group Stop Islamization of America, that their presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”. The decision, which they cannot appeal, will stand for between three and five years.
According to the Home Office, Mr Spencer and Ms Geller set up organisations “described as anti-Muslim hate groups” and, consequently, they have been told not to travel to Britain.
The decision follows pressure from anti-racist groups and chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz, who wrote to Ms May earlier this week asking her to consider a ban.
A spokesman for Hope not Hate, which led a campaign to ban the pair, declared himself “delighted”. Matthew Collins said: “There is enough hatred in this country at the moment; it is tense.
“There is a line in the sand between freedom of speech and the right to use hate speech. Freedom of speech does not guarantee you that right. We live in a democracy and we believe in free speech. People will now quote Voltaire but he never had the benefit of going to the gates of Auschwitz and seeing where unfettered free speech ends up.”
