habibi Profile picture
23 Feb, 12 tweets, 5 min read
The Labour MP Afzal Khan has quite a soft spot for hate preachers. Here he heaps praise on Munawar Hasan, the former leader of the Pakistani Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.

Recalling meetings with Hasan, Khan says he was "a very amazing individual". 1/12
Hasan was “charismatic”. “What really shined was his commitment and dedication.” He was “steadfast” and “promoted brotherhood”.

In sum, his passing was a “huge loss” of “an exemplary model for all of us”. May he attain the highest rank in heaven, Khan concludes. 2/12
Oh really? Here is Hasan bellowing for Osama bin Laden. For Hasan, bin Laden is a "martyr". But never fear, take courage - bin Laden "lives in people's hearts". 3/12
Indeed, when US forces killed bin Laden in 2011, Hasan was furious. Take Pakistan out of the war on terror! 4/12
reuters.com/article/us-bin…
And yet, amusingly, Hasan was also a 9/11 truther. The atrocities on that day were “were part of a ‘Jewish and American conspiracy’ to create a bad image for Muslims around the world”, you see. Hasan also blamed India for terror attacks in Pakistan. 5/12
zeenews.india.com/news/south-asi…
In this clip, Hasan delivers an ode to jihad. He also backs specific terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban, Egyptian jihadis, and Hizb ul-Mujahidin. 6/12
Bin Laden was not the only top “martyr” for Hasan. The terrorist leader Hakimullah Mehsud was another. When he was killed in a drone strike, Hasan added an insult to Pakistani soldiers to his praise for Mehsud, earning a rebuke from the army. 7/12
tribune.com.pk/story/630232/c…
Aafia Siddiqui, an antisemite closely connected to al-Qaeda, was another cause. After she was convicted in open court in New York of attempted murder of US and Afghan officers, Hasan showed his solidarity by meeting her family and calling for her release. 8/12
And what about the religious murder of politicians for “blasphemy”? Yes! The Pakistani liberal Salman Taseer had no one to blame but himself for his demise at the hands of a fanatic. 9/12
theguardian.com/world/2011/jan…
Here you will see Afzal Khan in friendly meetings with other hate preachers. Death for blasphemy and leaving Islam, jihad, hatred for Ahmadi Muslims, antisemitism - such a nice bunch. 10/12
Afzal Khan is also fond of the Khomeinist revolution that has brought brutal oppression and untold misery to the Iranian people and, in recent years, carnage for Syria. 11/12
If it emerged that a Tory MP had repeatedly met and praised hate preachers who backed far-right terrorists, Labour would be incandescent with rage.

When it comes to Afzal Khan, chair of the Labour Muslim Network as well as an MP, the party is completely indifferent. 12/12

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More from @habibi_uk

23 Feb
To understand the unrepentant fury of Corbynism, turn to a true comrade, the serving Doncaster councillor and former ASLEF president Tosh McDonald.

In a local podcast earlier this month, he certainly didn't hold back. Is what follows really OK by Labour? 1/11
He sets the tone by saying he sang, danced and got drunk when Thatcher died. He tells his "joke" about setting his alarm an hour earlier than needed so he could hate her for an hour longer. Then: “I feel pretty much the same way about the leaders of both parties right now." 2/11
On to the Jews, sorry, Zionists, in a long tirade.

He lays into the Labour MP Margaret Hodge, suggesting accusations should have been thrown at her, as surely some of her criticism of individuals was "vexatious". 3/11
Read 11 tweets
22 Feb
So, what is Labour under its "new management" like? It's a party where people of some prominence can openly reject disciplinary measures, explicitly back suspended members, and pledge enmity to the leadership.

See this event earlier this month for just one set of examples. 1/11
The meeting chair was Alan Gibbons, secretary of the Liverpool Walton CLP and a member of Momentum’s NCG. Freshly reinstated, he hit the swamp running, expressing his support for members who were still suspended. 2/11
Jeremy Corbyn sent a friendly message to the meeting. He was quoted as saying: “My solidarity goes to those members who are campaigning for their reinstatement for simply allowing members to discuss and debate issues that affect them and their party.” 3/11
Read 11 tweets
12 Feb
"In these difficult times we need to make a stand against the growth of racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism and any attempt to divide working people."

Stirring words from "Stand Up To Racism" and the TUC!

So why is Glen Hart of the RMT speaking? 1/10
eventbrite.co.uk/e/fighting-for…
Hart is Chair of the RMT’s Black and Ethnic Minority Members’ Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the TUC Race Relations Committee.

Well, here he is just yesterday hurling “white supremacist” at a campaigner against antisemitism, in the midst of the Ken Loach furore. 2/10
And here he is with the “stalwarts” Chris Williamson and Marc Wadsworth.

Both were prominent figures in the Labour antisemitism crisis. Wadsworth was expelled in 2018 for bringing the party into disrepute. Williamson was dropped as a Labour candidate for Parliament in 2019. 3/10
Read 11 tweets
26 Dec 20
*Thread* Ken Loach appears in the Corbyn project video with an endorsement. Of course he does - he is always very, very on message.

Reviled racist MP, suspended and then shunned by Labour? Ken will stand with you. 1/9
Yes, follow the leader.

"He's a very strong anti-racist campaigner. He is not antisemitic in any way." 2/9
So an anti-racist charity trustee doesn't like you, Ken? Fantastic! 3/9
thejc.com/news/uk/anti-r…
Read 9 tweets
6 Dec 20
Jeremy Corbyn and Tariq Ali are very old and dear friends, going back decades.

So it is no surprise to see Tariq issue a "solidarity message" to this upcoming meeting, which is one of the ugliest rallies for antisemitism yet, in a very crowded swamp. 1/5
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…
The meeting features Chris Williamson, the walking disgrace pushed out by Labour last year; Jackie Walker, expelled from Labour in 2019; newly suspended Moshé Machover; and the notorious antisemite Tony Greenstein, expelled from Labour in 2018. 2/5
Kerry-Anne Mendoza of the Canary hate site is also on the list. This will probably make no difference whatsoever to Labour figures such as Ian Lavery MP - they will happily continue to associate with her, surely. 3/5
Read 5 tweets
25 Nov 20
*Thread* The Islamist pressure group MEND and the Socialist Worker Party front “Stand Up To Racism” are a fine pairing.

They say they oppose racism. But when it comes to antisemitism, they are part of the problem. So any posturing at this meeting should be rejected. 1/12
Awareness is rising. Earlier this year, Tower Hamlets council refused to host a "Stand Up To Racism” event featuring Glyn Secker, a far left activist who has accused Jewish leaders of being “in the gutter” with “rats” of the far right. 2/12
thejc.com/news/uk/counci…
There’s more to say. This time, about the SWP activist Nahella Ashraf, scheduled to speak at the event this weekend.

In 2018, the antisemitic hardcore, including Chris Williamson and Tony Greenstein, assembled outside Labour’s headquarters to demonstrate against the… 3/12
Read 12 tweets

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