Holocaust Memorial Day

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day which is held on the anniversary of the liberation by Soviet Troops in 1945 of  the Auschwitz concentration camp.

This morning the new Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis spoke on "Thought for the Day" (Radio 4 "Today" programme) about his Great Uncle, head of a Jewish seminary in Lithuania who while trying to arrange an escape route for his family and students from advancing German forces became separated. He only found out at the end of the second world war that his students, staff, his wife and their 10 children were all murdered by the Nazi.  A shocking story.

We must never forget the unique evil of all forms of fascism.

Christian Bigots Alliance

I received an email via this blog the other day from the creator of a “take-off” site attacking the fundamentalist Political Party in Newham, the (so called) Christian Peoples Alliance (CPA).

This site is modelled on the MegaMosqueNoThanks which was set up by the CPA to attack a proposal to build a large mosque in Newham.

Now, I have had a dig at the CPA, especially their Megalomaniac leader, anti gay, anti pro-choice, Alan Craig, who makes Sarah Palin seem like Richard Dawkins. I think that Alan Craig’s behaviour over the mosque has been an utter disgrace and he has deliberately pandered to islamophobic sentiment to try and gain political support.

The parody site does make some very serious allegations against the CPA and its connection with the BNP, which I don’t totally share, but I do understand why many people in Newham equate the CPA with the BNP.

The CPA appear to have had to change their website design due to the spoof site and on the “real” CPA website, their “Poll” on the building of the mosque now shows a vast majority of people in favour of it. Well...

Newham is in East London, and it is a great place to live and work. It is also one of the most diverse communities in London. There are of course problems, nowhere is perfect. The deliberate stoking up of fear and ignorance by Craig does nothing for Newham. All he has done is to offend and cause division.

This morning I heard a very good “Thought for Day” on the “Today Programme” Radio 4 by Clifford Longley, about US Protestant fundamentalism and the phrase “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars’ and unto God the things that are Gods’”. Now I am probably the last person to quote scriptures but frankly it would be better for everyone if Craig kept his views for his pulpit rather than trying to ignite modern day crusades.