By Beverley Rouse, Press Association
Talk show host Michael Savage - real name Michael Weiner - is on the banned list
Sixteen people banned from entering the UK were "named and shamed" by the Home Office today.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she decided to make public the names of 16 people banned since October so others could better understand what sort of behaviour Britain was not prepared to tolerate.
The list includes hate preachers, anti-gay protesters and a far- right US talk show host.
"I think it's important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it's a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won't be welcome in this country," Ms Smith told GMTV.
"Coming to this country is a privilege. If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country and, what's more, now we will make public those people that we have excluded.
"We are publishing the names of 16 of those that we have excluded since October. We are telling people who they are and why it is we don't want them in this country."
She said the number of people excluded from Britain had risen from an average of two a month to five a month since October.
The list of the 16 "least wanted" includes radio talk show host Michael Savage, real name Michael Weiner.
"This is someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country," Ms Smith told BBC Breakfast.
Also named are American Baptist pastor Fred Waldron Phelps Snr and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper, who have picketed the funerals of Aids victims and claimed the deaths of US soldiers are a punishment for US tolerance of homosexuality.
"If people have so clearly overstepped the mark in terms of the way not just that they are talking but the sort of attitudes that they are expressing to the extent that we think that this is likely to cause or have the potential to cause violence or inter-community tension in this country, then actually I think the right thing is not to let them into the country in the first place. Not to open the stable door then try to close it later," Ms Smith said.
"It's a privilege to come to this country. There are certain behaviours that mean you forfeit that privilege."
Hamas MP Yunis Al-Astal, Jewish extremist Mike Guzovsky, former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald Black and neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe are also on the list released today.
Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, the former leaders of a violent Russian skinhead gang which committed 20 racially motivated murders, are also banned from coming to Britain. Both are currently in prison.
Making up the rest of the 16 named by the Home Office today are preachers Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim, Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal, Safwat Hijazi and Amir Siddique, Muslim activist Abdul Ali Musa (previously Clarence Reams), murderer and Hezbollah terrorist Samir Al Quntar and Kashmiri terror group leader Nasr Javed.
Michael Savage is banned from England! Using its same freedom-hating standards, Britain should now ban from its shores that "hate-fostering extremist" known as Jesus - and of course also ban the Queen since she is officially the "Defender of the Faith" that Jesus started!
ReplyDeleteThe United States of America grants us the opportunity to say what we feel and broadcast our beliefs. Unfortunately we have to extend this right to citizens like Michael Savage. Michael Savage has flashed his education like a badge to justify his idiotically sad ideas. I have the same level of education and have been very fortunate in life. I was not born that way I simply made this happen for myself and my family. I applaud Dr. Savage for his achievements and stand up for his right to freedom of speech. I am simply expressing my right to the same freedom. For the thousands of Americans who stand behind Dr. Savage, my heart goes out to you, you will never be allowed a moment to speak to your idol, for he loves to hear his voice to much to let you speak. For that matter my heart goes out to Dr. Savage. I cannot imagine living with so much hatred and disdain for everything in this life. Dr. Savage was fortunate enough to grasp a late night spot on national radio, thus allowing him to share this pessimistic view with all who listen.
ReplyDeleteI have to say BRAVO To the Brits, as well as Dr. Savage. Very well played … The Brits have done what they feel is right but have now given this personality a huge amount of free publicity. I do love the way all media works, no press is bad press. I got exactly what I expected from Dr. Savage. A yelling tantrum on national radio and a milking of this incident to the last drop… BRAVO Doc… I would love the opportunity to allow my two year old to join you one evening during one of his tantrums, although we may not be able to tell you two apart. We better get a strategy before we do that.
Dr. Savage is neither a leader nor anyone who should ever be granted anything more than, the creator of good radio drama. His show is simply radios version of the overdramatized and overacted reality shows we so love today. Anger and tantrums create a captive audience, and there is no one better to deliver those great acting skills as our Dr. Savage. I Thank God that our nations majority would never allow such a negative pessimistic person to lead our country, and I wish for Dr. Savage that he finds a more pleasant life and dedicates his national power of persuasion to a more positive approach.
“Put the spoon down, Dr. Savage, and leave the pot alone, we don’t need anyone else to stir it, but if we do, we know who is best fit for that task…”