You are quite correct about OBV. Simon Wooley has threatened many times in the black press and on the OBV site that he will organise to see that black people get what they want by organising the BME vote to target certain politicians in marginal constituencies with a high propertion of ethnic minorities.

That is the bad news, the good is that the man and his organisation have no roots in any community except possibly the African Caribbean and that is very shallow. What they have done over the years is to present themselves as the leaders of the Black Minority Ethnic community which of course doesn’t exist and which they created the concept of.

Like a host of self appointed community leaders from Darcus Howe onwards they then threatened the establishment with political boycotts unless they were funded, which they were, lavishly. The game is however up as the key plank in their programme, all black shorlists, is never going to happen and tarnished by the Lee Jasper a lot of their money has been pulled.

They also have a very unsavoury anti semitic side. Wooley is a big admirer of Louis Farrakhan and has publicly campaigned for his entry into the UK. He has also described him as a role model for young black men.

OBV have also brought over at their own expense, that means ours, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for tours of the country promoting something called Equanomics which was to be a UK version of the Jesse Jackson shakedown the Rainbow/Push coalition which organised boycotts of businesses unless they put Jackson nominees on their boards and paid huge sums into into his coffers.

I know this is a bit off topic but as someone brought it up I thought I would give a bit of detail.

The origins of Islam began in the same way…borrow from the Christian creed, a bit from the Jews and some from the Arab idolators…something for everybody…and then crush the old faiths.

Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue.

I assume you’re talking about Operation Black Vote, but I can’t see on their website where they say those things.

No?

[...] an organisation which believes that people with higher amounts of skin melanin are basically the same and should have similar voting patterns.

…

to demonstrate a collective community potential that could significantly influence the outcome in many seats at the General Election

[...]to confront politicians with the reality of what it means to be Black in Britain; to force them to address the inequality of opportunity faced by Black people

to encourage them [politicians] to recognise our unique perspective and positively promote the cultural diversity of British society in the best interests of society as a whole.

Sounds like race-hustling 101 to me.

He has opened a welcome debate within the Muslim community on LGBT human rights – a positive move. Anything that encourages a rethink of homophobia is good – and this openness might eventually lead to a rethink on other issues too.

I know Inayat quite well, having spoken alongside him at public meetings and media in debates, as well as private informal chat. He has had me on his Islam Channel TV programme twice to discuss LGBT equality. He supported the case for equal rights on both occasions. I believe he is sincere.

What Inayat has written points to a compassionate liberal perspective that can reconcile Islam with human rights – in contrast to the way Islam is often practicised in countries like Saudi Arabia (the UK government’s ally) and Iran (the UK government’s enemy). Let’s have more of this openness, debate and mutual solidarity.

The MCB used to be very hostile to lesbian and gay equality, teaming up with Christian fundamentalists to oppose nearly all the gay equality laws of the last decade. That is why I often challenged them. It was not Islamophobic for me to condemn the MCB’s homophobia, as some Muslim and left-wing critics claimed at the time.

Through challenge followed by dialogue, the MCB changed its stance to oppose legal discrimination against LGBT people. Congratulations and thanks.

As I always argued in my discussions and letters with the MCB and other Muslim groups, and as Inayat states in his article, gay and Muslim people know the pain of prejudice, discrimination and violence. We should work together – and with other minority peoples – to create an accepting, understanding, fair, equal and safe society for all the people of Britain, regardless of faith, sexuality, race, gender or disability. This seems to be what Inayat is saying. Well done.

I assume you’re talking about Operation Black Vote, but I can’t see on their website where they say those things.

“Actively working to ensure that people are able to live free of discrimination based on one’s ethnicity, gender, religion or sexual orientation is a worthy goal and should be viewed as an Islamic goal.”

How about he ought to have said, as any reasonable person would, that it should be a goal of everyone. Full stop. So why is it an “Islamic” one? Why is he talking about his religion?

Oh yes, my bad. He made it clearer just before that when he said: “At its best, Islamic civilisation was more than willing to learn from other surrounding countries and cultures and adopt the best aspects as its own”

Ah, I get it now. Still the slight sense of separation here. Not integrating as such, but taking from others and laying claim to it. But still separate; Islam and them, us and the others. Keep a division, even if we share common goals of humanity.

But then the religion is everything, which is why he said: “discrimination in the provision of goods and services on the grounds of religious belief or sexuality.”

I note he put religion before sexuality, because that is still the theme that must be promoted. Religion is what this is about, and his religion. I, and many others, might have said that the Equality Act means no discrimination. Full stop.

So, not impressed. Not until he can talk about the equality of humanity without pitching religion in there.

B.