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Ayman Abu Aita calls Baron Cohen 'big liar': threatens to sue

2009-07-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

The alleged "terrorist" who was interviewed in Bruno thinks Sacha Baron Cohen is full of it.

Ayman Abu Aita claims he was interviewed by Cohen under false pretenses and misrepresented as a 'terrorist group leader from Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.' He is threatening to sue.

He says he was told that Cohen's film would help the Palestinian cause, and that he had no clue about the film's gay content.

When he was on the Letterman show Baron Cohen told the story of how he met Aita and his bodyguard at an undisclosed location in the West Bank:

Cohen: "I thought I needed security. It was in the West Bank. The guy picks this secret location. ... The terrorist comes in with his bodyguard."

According to Aita this version-of-events is "made up stories." He says that in fact they met in a popular restaurant called Everest in Beit Jala, located in an area of the West Bank that is under Israeli control.

Aita says the "bodyguard" is a guy named Sammy Awad, the American manager of the Holy Land Trust. Contrary to Cohen's suggestions, Aita denies that he was in possession of any weapon and pointed out that in any case Palestinians are forbidden from carrying weapons in Beit Jala.

According to wnd.com and other sources Aita was involved with Al Aqsa between 2000 and 2003 and did jail time after being accused of taking part in an operation against Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem. There is also word from Israeli sources that he helped in the safe return of two Israeli reserve soldiers who got lost in the Bethlehem area.

Bruno's "terrorist" is reportedly a representative of Abbas' Fatah Party to the town of Beit Sahor - a satellite of Bethlehem. He is also a board member of the Holy Land Trust that promotes Palestinian rights through non-violent initiatives.

Ayman Abu Aita is seeking legal representation to press his case.

Mathew Labov, Cohen's publicist, says the actor has no comment on Aita's claims. Universal Pictures, responsible for the release of the movie, likewise has no comment.

Video of the Bruno interview with Abu Aita - here.

Tags: Ayman Abu Aita calls Baron Cohen a liar, Bruno terrorist threatens to sue Sacha Baron Cohen, Bruno, Baron Cohen accused of lying about terrorist, West Bank, Beit Jala, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Palestine, Sammy Awad, Holy Land Trust, Everest restaurant, Bethlehem

Malia Obama called 'ghetto street trash' on Free Republic thread

2009-07-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

The right-wing site Free Republic reputedly caters to grassroots American conservatives - at least that's the impression it puts across.

Impressions can be deceiving. If a casual surfer had happened upon a recent comment thread that took aim at president Obama's children, he or she could be excused for thinking that the site catered to racist hatemongers and misogynists - a number of whom came off sounding like far-right white supremacists.

A photo of 11 year-old Malia Obama wearing T-shirt with a peace symbol touched off a hate fest on the related comment thread.

Comments included... "A typical street whore." "Ghetto street trash." One commentator even speculated... "Wonder when she will get her first abortion."

An accompanying photo that showed Michelle Obama speaking with Malia included the caption... "To entertain her daughter, Michelle Obama loves to make monkey sounds."

Moderators on the site let the thread stay up for a day. When it attracted negative attention from other blogs and became the subject of an emailed complaint, the thread was placed 'under review' only to be returned with comments intact.

The letter of complaint from a Kristin N. was also posted along with her email address.

The site owner, Jim Thompson, wrote: "The writer has a point, We should steer clear of Obama's children. They can't help it if their old man is an American-hating Marxist pig."

We're talking about a picture of an 11 year-old kid wearing a T-shirt with a peace sign here when she was out-and-about on a hot day in Italy... and this provokes remarks about whores, street trash and abortions? To describe it as over-the-top is a large understatement.

Here's a sampling of comments:

They make me sick .... The whole family... mammy, pappy, the free loadin' mammy-in-law, the misguided chillin', and especially 'lil cuz... This is not the America I want representin' my peeps.

Could you imagine what world leaders must be thinking seeing this kind of street trash and that we paid for this kind of street ghetto trash to go over there?

Poor kids. I hope they're not 'punished with a baby. Hopefully they won't deal cocaine like the Kenyan.

This disgusting display makes me more and more eager for the revolution...

I never actually wnated [sic] to be a pistol before but...

DIRTBAGS! All of them. Our [White House] is now a joke to the rest of the world. We have no respect and this is not going to turn out well, mark my words. We will be hit, and much worse than last time. We are now seen as weak and vulnerable. Ghetto and Chicago thugs have taken over.

When the thread came under wider scrutiny and drew negative comment on the web, it was again placed under review before being pulled.

None of this should come as a surprise. Right-wing media cultivates these attitudes.

Fox News is one of the chief suspects. During the presidential campaign Obama's name was linked with Osama bin Laden, by 'accident' of course... an innocent fist bump was characterized as a 'terrorist fist jab'... Fox News contributor Liz Trotta even went so far as to 'joke' about Obama being assassinated.

A few days ago, the hosts of Fox and Friends got into a discussion about a Swedish study that found that people who stay married are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer's. Brian Kilmeade lamented that Americans "keep marrying other species and other ethnics..." and offered this gem... "Finns marry other Finns, so they have a pure society." The remark suggests Kilmeade might have a soft spot for eugenics... assuming he understands the meaning of the term.

We keep hearing that the Republican rank-and-file isn't racist, just real concerned. The Joe six-packs of Palin's "real America" don't have a racist bone in their body you know. Check out some pics of these everyday folks at some recent tea parties and make up your own mind - here.

More evidence of the racism that lies behind the Republican mask surfaced in a recent story on The Daily Beast. It deals with the GOP's latest up-and-coming hater, Audra Shay - the not-so-young chairman of the Young Republicans.

Chris Parry writing in Vancouver Sun - here.

Related Guardian article - here.

Lakshmi burger ad backfires: Burger King apologizes

2009-07-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Burger King has managed to outrage Hindus with a burger poster featuring Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity and wisdom.

The ad promoting the Texican Whopper showed up in Burger King restaurants in Spain with the heading "La Merienda Es Sagrada" which roughly translates as "the snack is sacred."

Devout Hindus practice ahimsa - non-harming or killing of living creatures. The slaughter of animals for the purpose of meat consumption is frowned upon. The recommended diet promotes sattvik foods (vegetables, fruits etc) and calls on followers to avoid meat.

Do the people Burger King hires to dream up their ads even bother to do their homework? The question of whether or not religious imagery should be used in advertising isn't so much the issue in this case, as lousy judgment. Lakshmi and beef isn't a happening concept.

Juxtaposing the Hindu goddess with a meat sandwich - the inference being that Lakshmi chows down on beef - comes off as dumb in addition to being about as blasphemous as it gets from a Hindu perspective.

Burger King moved quickly to withdraw the ad from its stores in Spain and issued an apology.

Spokeswoman Denise T. Wilson said: "We are apologizing because it wasn't our intent to offend anyone... Out of respect for the Hindu community, the limited-time advertisment has been removed from the restaurants."

This latest ad faux pas follows hot on the heels of the Burger King ad featuring a dwarf wrestler draped in the Mexican flag. Burger King also issued an apology in that instance following complaints from Mexico's ambassador to Spain.

What next... Jesus passing around Whoppers and fries at the Last Supper? Or how about Mohammad stopping by for a Bacon Double Cheeseburger? Even Burger King won't go there. Outraging the Bible Belt and Islamists is a whole other deal.

James Hudson: British diplomat caught in Russian sting operation

2009-07-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Yekaterinburg, Russia

James Hudson, Britain's deputy consul in Yekaterinburg has resigned after a video appeared on www.informacia.ru showing him having sex with two prostitutes.

The video titled Adventures of Mr Hudson in Russia has a professional look suggesting Russian security services might be behind it.

The individual who appears on the video is the spitting image of the diplomat, so there isn't much question that it's the man himself. He is shown in a brothel uncorking what appears to be champagne. He then has sex with the two prostitutes. The website also drops a few hints about gambling and drugs, inferring that there is other potentially damaging information.

Reports in Russian media outlets allege that Hudson was known to frequent sex clubs and city casinos, indicating that the diplomat may have been under surveillance.

There has been bad blood between Russia and the UK since the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. The refusal by the Russians to extradite the chief suspect in the case, ex-KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi - even though the British case was strong - didn't help relations. In turn the UK's refusal to extradite Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakaev has added to tensions.

The animosity has been particularly marked on the part of Russian security services, so it comes as no surprise that a diplomat with Hudson's lifestyle might become a target.

Guardian article - here.

Emil Brix: Austrian ambassador angry about Bruno: calls for protest

2009-07-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Austrian minister Emil Brix - newly appointed ambassador to Britain - is so upset with the Sasha Baron Cohen movie, Bruno, he has called for a protest. Brix has a problem with 'cheap gags' that in his view cast Austrians in a bad light.

Sasha Cohen plays a gay Austrian fashion reporter in the movie. At one point he says that he wants to be the most famous Austrian since Adolf Hitler. This is one of the gags Brix finds offensive.

Emil Brix

It's unclear how anyone could cast Austrians in a worse light than they cast themselves when it comes things Nazi-related. This is the nation that handed the far-right Freedom Party and Movement for Austria's Future 29% of the vote last time out.

Not so long ago a well known Austrian TV personality, Klaus Emmerich, made headlines when he said with reference to the election of Obama: 'I do not want the western world being directed by a black man. And if you say this is a racist remark, I say you are damn right it is.'

When Austrian far-right pin-up boy Jörg Haider was killed in a car accident, he was granted a state funeral. A high-end send off for a man who Carinthian writer, Egyd Gstättner, described as the center of a "fuhrer cult."

Bruno's Hitler joke is definitely topical when you consider what's been going down in Austria in recent years.

Brix also has a problem with incest related humor in the film. Bruno jokes at one point that the “Austrian Dream” is to “have a job, find a dungeon and raise a family there”. This is a reference to Josef Fritzl, the man who imprisoned his daughter in a basement and used her for years as his personal sex slave.

Brix wasn't amused: “It’s totally inappropriate. Everybody should speak up against that.”

That's the trouble - Austrians don't speak up. They're too polite or possibly repressed. You could run a Charles Manson-type cult out of your basement in most small Austrian towns and as long as you have a well trimmed moustache and tip your hat to the neighbors nobody is likely to interfere.

Ironically enough Brix praised the films of Austrian director Michael Haneke. He said Haneke's films gave a much more accurate portrayal of Austria.

Presumably this includes the Haneke film, Funny Games. It features two pyschotics who lock a family in a cabin and make them sadistically attack each other.

Brix said: “Films by directors like these really deal with Austria.”

Palin unhinged: Caribou Barbie pulls the plug

2009-07-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Watching Sarah Palin give her big 'outta here' speech in her yard in Alaska with Lake Lucille wildfowl honking in the background was certainly entertaining.

She spoke with the gushy up-and-down inflections of a grade school student. Like many kids who confuse speed-of-delivery with effectiveness, Palin set a blistering pace while the wildlife punctuated her lines with honks that sounded a lot like derision.

We learned that despite the evil designs of detractors, everything is under control as she 'progresses the state.' She's loving the job... everything's on track... you betcha! Oh and by the way... 'I'm outta here'... because 'only dead fish go with the flow.'

Lousy metaphor aside, the muddled message got through. Palin is special and doesn't do 'business as usual.' A higher calling beckons.

Sarah Palin is a sham. A narcissist with an a act that is wearing thin. Bizarre though it is, this second rate actor remains a big fave of a sizable minority of Americans - some of them so-called 'conservative' Democrats.

Palin is barely competent when it comes to use of language. She struggles with concepts off-script that any politician worth his or her salt should be able to handle with ease at that level. In more obvious ways, the woman is clearly coming unhinged.

Maureen Dowd performed a service to reality with a New York Times article that tells it like it is. Caribou Barbie is indeed "one nutty puppy."

Ms Dowd's article includes this insight:

And so it was, Todd Purdum learned, as he traveled Alaska reporting on Palin for Vanity Fair, that the governor’s erratic and egoistic behavior has been a source of concern for people there.

“Several told me, independently of one another,” Purdum writes, “that they had consulted the definition of ‘narcissistic personality disorder’ in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — ‘a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy’ — and thought it fit her perfectly.”

Narcissism and an out-of-control ego haven't stopped politicians from making it into high office. For many of her supporters, Palin's personal idiosyncrasies aren't viewed as deficits so much as evidence of a 'raw' politician with passion and conviction. As long as she can garner support she can't be written off.

Behind the politics is an ego that is self-serving, no matter how seemingly altruistic or high minded the cause. In the end it's not finally about Alaska... or America... or Trig... or Joe six-pack... it's mainly about Caribou Barbie.

Caribou Barbie cuts and runs

2009-07-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Bernie Ecclestone on Hitler and getting things done

2009-07-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

During a bizarre interview with The Times Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, said that he has a preference for totalitarian regimes over democracies. He criticized modern democratic politicians as 'weak' and gave the nod to Adolf Hitler.

Ecclestone said that the Fuhrer was "a man who managed to get things done."

Perhaps realizing that cheerleading for Hitler might not go over too well, he added that the Nazi leader had 'lost his way,' was persuaded to do things by others and in the end wasn't a very good dictator.

His evident contempt for democracy also came across in the interview: 'It hasn't done a lot of good for many countries - including this one.'

Weirdness coming from the upper echelons of Formula One isn't altogether surprising. A while back another Formula One supremo, Max Mosley, son of former British fascist leader Oswald Mosley, was allegedly involved in a Nazi S&M orgy. Mosley sued the News of the World for breach of privacy after it claimed he had taken part in a concentration-camp themed orgy involving six prostitutes.

Oswald Mosley and Brit blackshirts

Ecclestone - a big Thatcher fan - thinks Max Mosley would make a spanking great British PM capable of whipping the country into shape. He added that he didn't think Mosley's background "would be a problem."

Given his totalitarian sympathies maybe Ecclestone would have been happier if Hitler had been more effective and actually pulled off an invasion of Britain. Just imagine... Formula One events would have had a whole different look... decked out with Nazi flags... races preceded by the mandatory singing of Deutschland Über Alles with Aryan models posing in bikinis and jackboots. However Bernie might have been short a billion and not so free to speculate in random ways about politics.

Hitler certainly did get a few things done including the invasion of Europe, the bombing of London and the murder of millions of Jews. Whether or not he was 'persuaded' makes none of this any less objectionable - a sentiment not included in Ecclestone's review of recent history.

Jewish groups and politicians have expressed outrage over Ecclestone's comments. Labor MP Denis MacShane said 'This contempt for the right of people to elect their own leaders in frankly frightening.'

Guardian article here.

Times article here.

Naif al-Mutawa: Muslim comic 'The 99' and the superhero genre

2009-07-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

"The 99" is a comic book series featuring Muslim characters from different nations who get together to fight injustice. The man behind the concept is a Kuwaiti named Naif al-Mutawa who had the idea of personifying some of the alleged 99 attributes of God in superheroes with names such as Jabbar, Noora, Ramzi Razem and Batina.

Each character personifies a special chief feature or attribute. Jabbar who comes from Saudi Arabia can grow to be immense - Noora from the United Arab Emirates can perceive hidden truth - Batina, whose name is derived from the word meaning hidden, is veiled.

The early edition has a plot that draws on Islamic history. Ninety nine gems or Noor Stones that were encoded with the 'wisdom of Baghdad' have been scattered throughout the world. Twenty superheroes are dispatched to find them and retrieve the wisdom and power they enshrine, before an adversary discovers them.

The fact that The 99 features Islamic superheroes doesn't distract from the very obvious American-style portrayal of the characters. Neal Adams, the DC comics illustrator contributed to the series, as did Dan Panosian, known for his work on Spider-Man and The Hulk. The American input is front and center.

While reflecting on The 99 and its unique message, it's worth also looking at the impact the superhero genre has had on American culture.

In an America of failed institutions, wide social divides, a faltering economy - the superhero who rights injustices performs a type of 'mythic redemption.' This is arguably a factor that short-circuits the impetus toward social action... the hero who absolves us of responsibility.

John Shelton Lawrence co-author of The Myth of the Superhero, has argued that there is a correlation between myth and passivity:

Voting participation is steadily declining, especially among our younger citizens who spend the most time absorbing the mythic products that come to them as computer games, movies, comic books, and television programs.

The superhero myth can drive fantasies that are at root anti-democratic, even anti-social. Whether we are speaking of the cowboy-like delusions of the Bush administration with its unilateral approach... the criminal actions of a Timothy McVeigh... or the on-screen exploits of a Steven Seagal... in every case the central belief of the players involved is the simplistic idea of 'super' action to counter alleged evil.

John Shelton Lawrence put it very well:

... we can see the tension between what we might call "constitutional realism" and the call of the superhero myth. President Bush himself has often spoken the language of the myth in describing the way "we will rid the world" by fighting "the evil ones" and has threatened to "go it alone" in the American battle. The truth is that the will cannot be mapped according to the myth.

The simplistic good-versus-evil scenario is dangerous because it undermines the capacity to appreciate shades of differences, the art of compromise, empathy and expressions that address our common humanity. The 'solution' is often presented in the form of consequences carried out by superheroes who at times behave essentially like larger-than-life criminals.

Some argue that video games and comics that celebrate the myth of the superhero is nothing more than harmless entertainment. But it would be naive to believe that there is no spillover into more general attitudes and beliefs.

Playing out a variant of the superhero myth within an Islamic context comes with its own set of challenges.

The fact that The 99 refers to the attributes of God is a mixed recommendation, because religion has been in the vanguard of war and strife throughout history. However despite the God reference the comic doesn't contain explicitly religious themes.

This hasn't shielded it from criticism. The reference to the 99 attributes of God has drawn heat in the Islamic world from those don't believe the attributes should be personified in human characters. Al-Mutawa has made clear that he does not include those attributes considered to be 'divine.'

Naif al-Mutawa

The comic series has a number of socially redeeming features. It aims to promote cooperation and unity in the Islamic world. The message isn't explicitly religious, rather it focuses on Islamic virtues which Al-Mutawa describes as 'universal in nature.'

While the Islamic virtues the creator is promoting are certainly laudatory, it's hard to overlook that these virtues are not always in evidence in the lives of Islamic societies. Recently the world witnessed a ruthless crackdown on protesters in Iran. Women in Saudi Arabia have had to struggle for basic rights... such as the right-to-drive. In Iraq there have been reports of vicious attacks on homosexuals.

Al-Mutawa conceives of his message as reaching beyond the Muslim world. He says that he hopes the appeal of the comic will cross the religious divides:

I told the writers of the animation that only when Jewish kids think that THE 99 characters are Jewish, and Christian kids think they're Christian, and Muslim kids think they're Muslim, and Hindu kids think they're Hindu, that I will consider my vision as having been fully executed.

In a recent BBC article Naif al-Mutawa explains why he set out to create The 99.

A New York Times article for more background on the comic and its creator - here.

Jewish boy refused entry to Jewish free school on grounds that mother 'not Jewish enough'

2009-06-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

A Jewish Free School in Brent, N.W. London, has denied a 12 year-old Jewish boy a place in the school because his mother isn't recognized as Jewish by those responsible for the school's admission policy.

The boy's father is Jewish but the mother converted to Judaism under the ministrations of a Progressive rather than Orthodox synagogue - a conversion not recognized by the UK's Office of the Chief Rabbi. On these grounds the child was refused admission.

Anyone familiar with British law is likely to have a problem with this. The child wasn't signing up for religious training, he and his parents were interested in a broad based educational program. Moreover the JFS, the Jewish school in question, is a comprehensive school funded by the British taxpayer.

Discriminating against a Jewish child from a Jewish family on the grounds that his mother isn't 'Jewish enough' is fairly outrageous given the anti-discrimination provisions in the UK. It amounts to a form of ethnic-based discrimination.

The British Appeals Court hearing the case also had a problem. It has handed down a ruling that the use of such criteria for selecting students is a breach of the Race Discrimination Act.

The judges on the case said that: "The requirement that if a pupil is to qualify for admission his mother must be Jewish, whether by descent or by conversion, is a test of ethnicity which contravenes the Race Relations Act."

The court ruling was attacked by Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, who is threatening to take it all the way to the House of Lords in an effort to get the ruling overturned. He claims this is necessary so that Jews can be "be true to the Jewish faith."

Who said Jews can't be true to their faith? That is their right. But an educational institution funded by the British taxpayer is hardly the environment to be applying what can only be described as a matrilineal litmus test to determine whether or not a student is acceptable.

There are a number of very cool Hebrew schools in N. America that welcome children of all faiths and teach the kids mutual respect in addition to offering top-notch academic programs. Sequestering students in narrow ethnic/religious based institutions in this day and age may produce academic results, but not necessarily well rounded adults.

Related Guardian article here.

Jewish school entry requirements: matrilineal correctness test

2009-06-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Patrizia D'Addario: escorts and showgirls allegedly paid to attend Berlusconi's parties

2009-06-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

On the heels of accusations that Italian PM Berlusconi used state aircraft to fly showgirls and musicians to his villa in Sardinia, a new scandal has broken out involving escorts.

Corrriere Della Sera has published an interview with a former model and escort named Patrizia D'Addario who alleges that she was paid to attend Berlusconi's parties. D'Addario also claims she made secret audio and video recordings in Berlusconi's bedroom. She says she made them so that "nobody can deny I had been there."

Ms D'Addario's footage is currently being examined by Italian magistrates.

Berlusconi is drawing a blank when it comes to Ms D'Addario... he has told aides he has no memory of her. Odd considering that she was put forward as a candidate for the European and municipal elections on behalf of the Peoples of Liberty - Berlusconi's party.

D'Addario's political prospects were shelved when the PM's wife, Veronica Lario, blasted her husband's promotion of showgirls as "shameless rubbish." This was around the same time when she also complained that he "frequented minors."

Pic from a Berlusconi
visit to Bari

The PM's memory lapse is even odder if you go along with Ms D'Addario's version of events ... events that involve a Bari-based middleman named Giampaolo Tarantini. Ms D'Addario described Mr Tarantini's recruitment of girls for Berlusconi as an "induction into prostitution."

It is alleged that payments were made to at least four women by Tarantini. Recordings were obtained via wiretaps in the course of a separate investigation into business corruption. They include calls during which Tarantini allegedly negotiated payments and made travel arrangements with the women he had recruited for the Berlusconi events.

Patrizia D'Addario asked for €2,000 for her services. She was flown to the big event. Prior to showing up at Berlusconi's Rome residence, Palazzo Grazioli, she was put up in a luxury hotel.

A Guardian article describes Ms D'Addario's recollection of events:

"He [Berlusconi] showed us videos of his meeting with [President George] Bush and photos of his [Sardinian] villa. He sang and told jokes," she said, adding she "realised she had made an impression" on him. However, she said she returned to her hotel for the night and was paid only €1,000 "because I didn't stay". She claimed she was invited back with two other women several weeks later on the night of the US presidential election, on which occasion she claimed Berlusconi asked her to stay.

D'Addario said on both evenings she made secret audio recordings in which the prime minister's voice could be heard...

Berlusconi's lawyer, Niccolò Ghedini, is dismissive of these claims. However his explanations risk fueling rather than diminishing speculations. He told Corriere della Sera: "It seems a bit over the top to think that Berlusconi needs to pay €2,000 for a girl to go with him. He could have them in large numbers for free."

Ghedini went further and said that even if the allegations were true, Berlusconi would be an "unwitting party" since he "couldn't have known" women had been paid to attend the parties. In other words Berlusconi would be a blameless "end user" in Ghedini's eyes.

Comments attributed to former French President, Jacques Chirac, would suggest there isn't anything new about Berlusconi's interest in models and escorts.

While he was on an official state visit to Italy, Chirac paid a visit to Berlusconi's villa. He noticed some porn magazines and asked why they were lying around. Berlusconi reportedly leafed through a magazine... pointed to various models and said "I've had her... this one... and I've had that one too."

Ms D'Addario stopped showing up at Palazzo Grazioli when Berlusconi failed to follow through on a promise to help her with a building project. She also found herself locked out of a Bari council election rally - even though she was a candidate affiliated with Berlusconi's party.

Related Guardian article - here.

Last minute recruits

2009-06-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Racist attacks on Romanian families in Belfast

2009-06-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Belgravia Avenue, Belfast, where homes were targeted.

Romanian families living in the Lisburn Road area of Belfast have been targeted by local racists. Threats were directed at the Romanians... windows of homes smashed, in addition to other intimidation tactics.

According to the authorities there was no paramilitary involvement in the attacks. Both the UVF and UDA have spoken out and condemned the incidents.

An anti-racist demonstration staged to protest the attacks and show solidarity with the Romanians, was targeted by youths from the Village area. They threw stones and bottles at the protesters. They also chanted Combat 18 slogans. Despite the display of neo-Nazi sympathies, N.I. security sources say there is no evidence that Combat 18 has cells in the Greater Belfast area.

Twenty Romanian families took shelter in a church that offered its hall as a refuge. Families have since been bussed to the Ozone leisure complex where they received needed support.

Romanian residents
forced from their homes.

A child in a church shelter.

Romanians outside
the Ozone leisure complex.

The Romanian families moved to N. Ireland hoping for a better life, but a number of these people have been so traumatized by what they have been through some question whether the only option is to return to Romania.

Immigrant Couaccu Siluis said:

We are not going back to our house. It is not safe. They made signs like they wanted to cut my brother's baby's throat. They said they wanted to kill us.

We are very scared. We have young children. We cannot go back. Possibly we could go back to Romania but we have no money. We have to stay here.

The people who carried out these attacks are in no way representative of anything except a minority attitude. There has been broad condemnation of the attacks across the political spectrum.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Naomi Long, had this to say:

Belfast is growing rich in diversity with people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds making this city their home, and each and every citizen has the right to live free from fear and intimidation.

We cannot let a small minority of people detract from that, or allow them to drive people from their homes.

N. Ireland has long been a predominantly homogeneous society. Now that a larger immigrant population is part of the mix, there are some people who have a problem with change. It's a minority view that doesn't reflect the broader community.

BBC report and video - here.

Italian National Guard: neo-fascism and the return of the 'blackshirts'

2009-06-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Fears about a revival of fascism in Italy have increased as the influence of the far-right continues to make inroads. The signs are many, all the way from a proposal for segregated public transportation to citizen patrols organized by the anti-immigrant Northern League and even a crackdown on ethnic food outlets. Recently Berlusconi poured scorn on the idea of Italy being or becoming a multi-ethnic society.

What is most disturbing is the seeming acquiescence of Italians in the face of these developments... mere decades after their forebears overthrew the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini.

The latest news involves the Italian National Guard and the fascist-style uniforms that have raised concerns about the return of the notorious blackshirts. The Guard claims to have thousands of recruits, some with a police and military background. They will be a presence in Milan once a controversial security bill is passed. The bill will allow foot patrols to help police combat crime.

The presence of the Guard on the streets will put fear into immigrants and other 'undesirables.' It's an intimidation tactic in addition to being an anti-crime initiative. Some citizen patrols are already underway in Italian cities with the backing of the Northern League.

The leader of the Guard, Gaetano Saya, told Corriere della Sera that the organization is based on the Roman legions... no less than a praetorian revival.

The uniform reflects more than just a Roman influence. It features the Nazi Black Sun symbol on the armband, the eagle of the Roman Empire on military style caps and other sundry emblems - giving the uniform a slightly farcical but also sinister appearance.

The favorite fascist color is also in evidence... black belts, black gloves, black hats and helmets, black ties... maybe even black underwear. Mussolini would be impressed.

What is it with Italians seeming infatuation with the far-right? Is it nostalgia for the glories of of a bygone empire... or perhaps some lingering xenophobia that has been lying low just waiting for a chance to re-emerge from the shadows?

The opposition Democratic Party is keenly aware of the dangers. They have warned that these types of groups set a dangerous precedent and harken back to Italy's fascist past. Leader, Dario Franceschini, said "There was a period in Italy's history in which security was entrusted to people who went around in shirts of the same color and we don't want to return to that."

Fascist symbols and slogans are still against the law in Italy as a result of laws passed after World War 2, but this hasn't proved a major obstacle where the National Guard is concerned. According to Maurizio Monte, deputy head of the Guard, the organization has been officially registered.

Tags: Italian National Guard, neo fascism, Italian blackshirt patrols, citizen vigilantes in Italy, Northern League, Gaetano Saya, Maurizio Monte, Berlusconi, Roman legions, Mussolini, Milan, fascist symbols, Italy and the far right, Italian fascism

Welcome to Italy

2009-06-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Rusty DePass: gorilla joke about Michelle Obama sparks outrage

2009-06-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

South Carolina GOP activist, Rusty DePass, logged into Facebook and posted a comment about a gorilla that had escaped from Riverbank Zoo in Colombia. DePass described the gorilla as "an ancestor" of First Lady, Michelle Obama.

His words:

"I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless."

If you came across something like this on some random thread it might prompt thoughts of a passing teen troll, but DePass has a fairly high profile in Republican circles in South Carolina. He was former chairman of Richland County GOP and was co-chair of the Rudy Giuliani campaign in Richland - the largest county in S.C.

A screen shot captured by FITSnews put DePass on the spot. He admitted to posting the comment and apologized, but not without digging a deeper hole.

According to DePass his gorilla comment drew its inspiration from remarks allegedly made by Michelle Obama. He claims she said something about humans being descended from apes. Searches by news organizations have failed to unearth evidence of these remarks.

This is a ridiculous defense. So what if she did... it's one thing to speculate about the origins of species and quite another to make a low-end crack about a gorilla on-the-loose being the First Lady's "ancestor."

Bet this type of racist humor is second nature to DePass and his S.C. Republican buds. In his mind he probably did think that it was "just a joke," which goes to show how chronically out of touch he is.

Evidence of flakiness seems to go back-a-ways. In a 2007 Op-Ed piece endorsing Giuliani, DePass had this to say... "Most of us, of course, particularly in South Carolina, never gave a damn about New Yorkers, but somehow the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, made those people Americans again."

Guys like DePass don't get it. Sure he apologized, but the mindset isn't going to change any time soon... the mindset behind the type of attitude that prompted S.C. political blogger Will Folks to make this comment:

"'Humor' like this is nothing new for South Carolina Republicans - even as the party claims to be focusing on 'outreach' efforts to minorities. The fact that Palmetto [State] Republicans don't get that this is a serious problem for them baffles us."

Story and video at HuffPo - here.

James Von Brunn 'a leftist' according to conservative meme

2009-06-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

Know many leftist types who are self-described "white Christian" supremacists who hate the government, have paranoid fantasies about a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world, hate blacks and have referred openly to the "browning of America"? And I don't mean colorful characters and eccentrics who identify with leftist causes when it suits their ends, I mean bona fide leftists.

Well according to some conservative pundits Holocaust memorial museum shooter, James Von Brunn - who subscribes to all of the above views and attitudes - is nothing less than 'a leftist.' So go figure.

These are the same pundits - Beck, Limbaugh et al - who raised the roof with their objections over a recent Homeland Security report that warned of the dangers of right-wing extremism.

So desperate are they to disassociate their brand of conservatism from anything that could remotely be described as domestic right-wing terrorism, they are prepared to call black white, and vice versa as the need arises.

Who are they trying to kid? America has plenty of right-wing loonies, armed and chalk full of hate. Fox News presenter, Shepard Smith, said recently that the email he has been receiving is "becoming frightening."

Aside from Fox News viewers who use email to fire off their bile, there are other more organized right-wing types who hold views similar to those of Von Brunn but who would strenuously object if you presumed to refer to them as leftists. Check out random websites. They regularly attack not only Obama, but leftists/liberals in general who they view as a threat to their version of America.

Playing down the threat from the right in America is typical of the denial conservative pundits practice - even to the point of spinning the theory that the lunatic racist Von Brunn is nothing less than... 'a leftist.'

White supremacist Jew haters of the James Von Brunn variety have their roots in the right side of the political spectrum. To try and argue he's a leftist because he hated neo-cons and had a beef about Israel, is to misinterpret where he was coming from on these issues. His hatred of Jews drove his world view, and given the number of Jews associated with neo-conservative thinking it stands to reason that Von Brunn would reject that ideology.

Moreover as the UK Guardian revealed this week, Von Brunn had connections with the right-wing, xenophobic British National Party (BNP). This is a party no self-respecting leftist would go near except to throw eggs or possibly shoes.

Guardian:

The AFBNP treasurer, Todd Blodgett, also told the Washington Post that he and Von Brunn had attended fundraising meetings in Arlington County. The BNP leader, Nick Griffin, spoke to at least two AFBNP meetings and said the money raised by the organisation made a "significant contribution to the BNP's [2001] general election campaign".

Part of the twisted rationalizations that allows the Limbaughs and Becks to theorize about Von Brunn-as-leftist comes from the influence of a book with an oxymoron for a title... Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg.

Despite the fact that European fascism was stridently anti-liberal and anti-communist, Goldberg argues that National Socialism was somehow or other left-wing.

There have been numerous attempts by right wing pundits to argue 'twin' associations between Nazism and Communism. Anyone can compare two seemingly distinct and different systems and find lots of seeming similarities. For example, an astute researcher could compare certain US corporations of recent years with mafia organizations and come up with an intriguing book.

The fact is, the number one enemy of National Socialism was the left... Bolsheviks and allied groups that subscribed to Marxist thinking. This indisputable historical fact exposes Goldberg's argument for the fallacy it is, quite aside from his many speculative considerations.

But this hasn't stopped American conservatives from seizing on Goldberg's book in order to find some other way to smear the left - even to the point of trying to paint James Von Brunn as a leftist. It just goes to show how desperate and empty they have become. Lies and inventions will do when you're fast running out of credible ammunition.

Fluvanna women's prison: 'butch' looking inmates segregated

2009-06-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

Lynn Toney (left) and Summer Triolo both spent time
in the derisively named 'butch wing' at Fluvanna Correctional Center

For a year or more, the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Virginia segregated so-called 'butch' looking lesbian inmates in a separate wing. The targeted inmates reportedly had 'short hair' and favored 'loose-fitting clothes.'

Some straight women also got sent to the wing because they had a 'masculine appearance.'

Current guards and a former co-worker say there was a deliberate policy of targeting 'butch' looking inmates and packing them off to the wing referred to derisively by guards as 'the little boys wing' and the 'studs wing.'

It's reported that Building 5 manager Timothy Back came up with the segregation plan. Dozens of inmates were moved to wing 5D as it is officially called in an effort to break up relationships.

Warden Barbara Wheeler denies that lesbian inmates have been targeted based upon their appearance. When AP began making a few inquiries, inmates and a current employee reported that the practice was stopped.

Fluvanna Correctional Center

Inmates claim Fluvanna is run by homophobes, and that the rules are discriminatory. Women sent to wing 5D, said they were made the target of homophobic remarks. When they were being escorted for meals for example, it wasn't uncommon to overhear comments such as "Here come the little boys."

Segregating female inmates on the basis of their appearance is a violation of the US Constitution which guarantees equal protection and freedom of expression. Civil rights activists describe it as punishment for 'looking gay.'

This extraordinary treatment of female inmates based upon their looks is outrageous, especially since it has the appearance of a power-play designed to humiliate the women by branding them and isolating them in this fashion.

It's one thing to do time for a crime, but this was nothing less than a punitive add-on dreamed up to essentially punish women further for the 'crime' of having a certain look.

Let's hope the airing this story has had in the media will result in some needed action because there are problems with this institution... some also that pre-date this report... see beneath for more info.

AP report - here.

Article citing other complaints about Fluvanna - here

Bill Maher calls Sean Hannity 'sexually repressed'

2009-06-10T01:17:00.000-07:00

During an interview with Howard Kurtz on CNN's "Reliable Sources," Bill Maher said Sean Hannity of Fox News is "terribly sexually repressed." Maher made the comment after viewing a video clip, in the course of which Hannity described him (Maher) as being "an angry, bitter guy."

Here's how Maher responded during the Kurtz interview:

MAHER: No, he's an angry, bitter guy. That's called projecting.

That's called taking what you feel and giving it to somebody else. I'm a happy, single guy. He's a repressed, typical Republican.

I'm sure just terribly sexually repressed and it comes out in all their sorts of hatred and vile and bile -- why would I be bitter? First of all, our side won. You know, their side is in a wilderness like there's been before.

So --

Sexual repression is just part of a more complex condition in Hannity's case, that might best be described as a form of arrested development.

He is typical of a certain type of right wing pundit... loud, driven, smug, dogmatic, intellectually challenged and programmed to repeat the same key talking points ad nauseum. It doesn't matter if he is out-to-lunch and factually incorrect on some issue, the ideological hype and will-to-coerce never wavers - you have at least to give him an 'A' for effort.

Watching Hannity doing his thing can be funny as hell, but also disturbing.

The other night he had guests on his show who also lean to the right, but when Hannity started banging on even they looked at him as though he had a screw loose. He hammered home objections to everything Obama is about with such thinly disguised contempt or possibly hatred, it seemed badly off-base.

Notwithstanding Hannity's often proclaimed regard for conservative African American justice Clarence Thomas, his attacks on Obama at times come off as nasty and personal in a manner that goes beyond the Whitehouse policies under discussion. There is an undertone to Hannity's commentary on Obama that says as much about prejudice as it does about politics.

He doggedly referred to the president in the third person... "he" and "him"... you half expected him to start throwing in the occasional "it."

On a recent show, with reference to the Cairo visit he said in all seriousness that Obama was now referring to America as "a Muslim nation."

What president Obama in fact said is that millions of Muslims live in America. We're not talking some big secret here. Any reference to America being a 'Muslim nation' has to be kept in the context of the overall remarks. But leave it to Hannity to wrench Obama's comments out of context and present them in a manner that completely distorts what the president was saying.

Obama's precise words were:

We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens, who are bound by ideals.

If you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.

This is the spin Hannity put on it:

He honors the national day of prayer behind closed doors. Now, on his Middle East apology tour, the President calls the U.S. a "Muslim nation."

The same president who insists the U.S. is not a Christian nation is now calling us a Muslim nation.

When Bill Maher, who has a good eye for these things, says Hannity is sexually repressed there is no doubt he has hit on one of Hannity's chief features... yet another right-wing Irish-American Catholic with the hang-ups that go with it. It's pretty evident who the "angry, bitter guy" is.

Sean Hannity really shouldn't go after Bill Maher. They're badly mismatched. Maher is just way too sharp for the Fox News shill.

El Pais: Sardinia photos: Berlusconi sues

2009-06-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Spanish daily El Pais has published a set of photos that include shots of nude and semi-nude guests at Berlusconi's Villa Certosa in Sardinia. The pics were taken by Antonio Zappauda from outside the Berlusconi villa during a party for a Czech delegation.

The photos provide a glimpse of the 72 year-old premier at play. There is also a pic of a naked man pool-side, sporting what looks like a semi-erection. The face has been pixelated, but it's reportedly former Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolanek.

Berlusconi's need at age 72 to surround himself with beautiful young women comes off as an effort to convince himself that he is just as virile and attractive as he was a few decades ago, and no doubt the girls cater to his many vanities.

But what is most amazing is that even as he goes out of his way to hang with young women and in the case of one, Noemi Letizia, even further out of his way... nothing is going on... innocence rules. So all of this energy and effort is just what... for the chat?

The mere fact of hanging around with younger women isn't the main issue, it's the fact that Berlusconi has promoted the importance of religion and the family while pouring scorn on the left - it's about his hypocrisy. It's also about his Caesar complex as Playboy-in-Chief and what this lifestyle says about his priorities as a democratically elected leader.

Over and above Berlusconi's personal tastes and private preferences, there are also allegations of abuse of public funds. According to El Pais, Berlusconi has been using Italian aircraft since the summer of 2007 to fly ferry guests to and from the Villa Certosa. This is alleged to have occurred "almost every weekend."

Berlusconi says that when he visits other countries the entertainment is laid on for him, so he is just returning the favor. Flying young women on Italian planes to a villa for the pleasure of 'Papi' and his visiting political pals seems kind of like high-end pimping.

A complaint has been filed by the consumer organization, Codacons, forcing Italian prosecutors to open an investigation into Berlusconi's use of public assets. But Berlusconi, true to form, is contemptuous of the effort and says "It means nothing. It will be shelved very soon."

Meanwhile he is furious about the appearance of the Sardinia photos in El Pais and is suing the daily. The premier's lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, described the photos as having "originated in a crime." He added: "Who buys them anywhere in the world is committing a crime, something which should have been clear to El Pais' journalists,"

El Pais says that Berlusconi is the one who is getting things wrong:

"The publication of the photographs of his private parties aims to show how, as prime minister, he is trying to turn the realm of democratic politics into a simple continuation of his friendships and entertainment... It is not the job of official aircraft to transport guests to his private parties."

Link to El Pais ... here.

Papi Berlusconi and volunteers

2009-06-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Tiller murder: anti-abortion threat to rights and freedoms

2009-06-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

The killing of Dr George Tiller is just the latest atrocity perpetrated by a person or persons who without any irony describe themselves as pro-life. The terms "right-to-life" and "pro-life" are really misnomers. The hard core activists among them are only interested in life on their own terms.

Extremists allied to their movement have murdered medical personnel in the name of their obsession. Activists among them have been known to stalk, harass and abuse those who oppose their agenda. They use the mail and the internet to post their propaganda.

Last year a chapter of Right-to-Life in Racine County, Wisconsin, sent out plastic fetuses in the mail. The plastic replica was meant to represent an 11 to 12 week old fetus. The reason for this sick invasion of people's mail boxes was the anniversary of Roe versus Wade - the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

The fetus is the central object of "worship" for anti-abortion extremists. They lavish more attention on it than they give to the cross of Jesus. They weep over it, preserve it in formaldehyde, post pictures of it on the net, talk about it to anyone who is willing to listen. It's their central fetish. The womb has become their Holy Grail and the fetus is not unlike their tiny idol.

In common with most cults, the anti-abortion movement has a structure with leaders regarded by many on the inside as charismatic. Recruits are shown videos that display the central totem - bloody fetuses. Anti-abortion radicals control information and attempt to spread fear through intimidation. They uses propaganda and deception in the promotion of the agenda. Detractors and workers in the abortion field are targeted as 'the enemy.' Could anything be more textbook when it comes to defining the traits of a cult.

These fanatics claim to be Christian - but there is nothing Christian about them. Despite their two-faced words following the assassination of Dr Tiller, they privately rejoice at the murder of abortion providers. Their religion teaches "Thou shalt not kill"... it doesn't say "Thou shalt not kill with certain exceptions"... it is categorical that killling is forbidden. Moreover their book isn't referring to abortion or fetuses, it is referring to living, breathing human beings.

Bill O'Reilly who is forever touting his Catholic Irish credentials, launched a hate campaign against George Tiller on his show The Factor. Time after time he villified and demonized the doctor. O'Reilly sows division and feeds the deranged obsessions of extremists who are already looking for their next abortion provider to target.

Catholic contraception and abortion rulings have resulted in an increase in the birth rate in nations with a high percentage of Catholics such as the Philippines. In many instances mothers are unable to cope and fathers unable to provide. Malnourished children become ill and succumb to disease. Many die. Still the Church refuses to back away from a position on contraception that causes an immense amount of hardship and suffering. What matters most is maintaining their control and influence.

The dogmatic Roman Catholic stance on abortion certainly doesn't reflect any stated concern of Jesus. The words attributed to him in the New Testament include no explicit warnings against abortion whatever.This wasn't because abortion wasn't practiced in his day. It was. Jewish law in fact requires abortion when the mother's life is at risk. Moreover it doesn't dignify the fetus with the status of 'babyhood' as do many pro-lifers.

The site Religious Tolerance, offers more insight into the Jewish view of abortion:

Halacha (Jewish law) does define when a fetus becomes a nefesh (person). A "...baby...becomes a full-fledged human being when the head emerges from the womb. Before then, the fetus is considered a 'partial life.' " In the case of a "feet-first" delivery, it happens when most of the fetal body is outside the mother's body.

The Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 69b states that: "the embryo is considered to be mere water until the fortieth day." Afterwards, it is considered subhuman until it is born.

"Rashi, the great 12th century commentator on the Bible and Talmud, states clearly of the fetus 'lav nefesh hu--it is not a person.' The Talmud contains the expression 'ubar yerech imo--the fetus is as the thigh of its mother,' i.e., the fetus is deemed to be part and parcel of the pregnant woman's body."

Why should a woman be compelled to see through a pregnancy when the fetus has organ malfunctions or other severe abnormalities that could result in premature death? An abortion procedure, even late-term, is far safer for the woman than compelling her to undergo a much riskier birthing procedure for a no-hope infant. It makes absolutely no sense. But this is a procedure opposed by extremists who describe it as 'murder.'

Pioneering doctors who have championed women's reproductive freedoms in the face of hatred and threats are heros. Here in Canada Dr Henry Morgentaler was awarded the Order of Canada for his work. A long overdue award for a life of extraordinary service. That another hero, Dr George Tiller, was gunned down in a church by Roeder who calls himself a Christian is a shame on America and the values that great nation claims to stand for.

George Tiller joins others who have died at the hands of anti-abortion terrorists. They include Dr David Gunn, Dr. John Britton, James Barrett, Shannon Lowney, Lee Ann Nichols, and Dr. Barnett Slepian. Something needs to be done to rein in the "pro-life" fanatics and vigilantes who are increasingly a threat to our rights and freedoms.

Sharlene Azam: middle-class teens trading sex for favors

2009-06-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Independent film maker Sharlene Azam's documentary with accompanying book - Oral Sex is the New Goodnight Kiss - investigates the sex lives of middle-class teen girls.

Anyone who associates teen sex of the wilder variety with drug-use and pimps hasn't been paying attention. Casual sex or even 'barter-sex' is part of the lifestyle of a percentage of middle-class teens for whom it is no biggie to offer oral sex for a favor or just cos some dude at a party looks cute and worthy enough.

Azam refers to girls as young as 11 who talk about having sex, going to sex parties and in some cases engaging in casual prostitution so they can purchase some needed item.

As one teen put it: "Five minutes and I got $100. If I'm going to sleep with them, anyway, because they're good-looking, might as well get paid for it, right?"

According to Azam these girls are all from "good homes" and in most cases the parents are completely unaware of what's going on.

Porn has had a major influence on teen culture. It informs everything from fashion to attitudes to song lyrics loaded with sexual innuendo. The sexting self-photo fad and racy images trafficked on the cellphone-express (some of them from last weekend's party) reflect the trend. Teens don't have to check into porn sites to be attuned to the porno sensibility.

Some teen girls are pragmatic about sex and seem able to compartmentalize it... at least if you buy what they have to say.

This for example:

"I mean, we're not looking for our future husbands... we have a lot of urges, I guess, that need to be taken care of. So if we resort to a casual thing, no strings attached, it's perfectly fine."

None of this is particularly new. What is new are the ways in which tech has impacted on teen culture and the ways in which information is processed.

A middle-class background like any other can have its own set of challenges. In a lot of cases parents and other guardians are absentee, either physically or just in terms of involvement in their kid's lives. At root where problems exist, it relates back to communication and support issues.

Azam, who has concerns about the teen sex she has been investigating says "we failed our girls" ... nonetheless the titillating title of her book and the cover plays up all the seductive teen lolita stereotypes. But then... gotta sell those books!

Patrick Macphoso: confronting racism in Ireland

2009-06-03T02:40:00.000-07:00

Residents Against Racism demo in Dublin: 2006

The downturn in the Irish economy has resulted in job losses in many different sectors. Ireland has been harder hit than other euro countries. The forecast suggests that the Irish economy will shrink by 6.5% this year. Unemployment has leaped to 11.4%.

During the heyday of the "Celtic Tiger" tens of thousands of migrants made the move to Ireland in search of jobs and fresh opportunities. The influx of newcomers was significant - they make up roughly 18% of the Irish population.

Now that times have changed on the economic front, attitudes have also been changing. There has been an increase in discrimination directed at non-Irish nationals.

Xenophobia in Ireland hasn't yet taken on a political form. For example there is no equivalent of the British National party (BNP) playing up the immigration threat. Nonetheless there is evidence that serious problems exist.

The fight against discrimination has been taken up by Patrick Macphoso, a former ANC organizer from South Africa's Northern Cape. Macphoso moved to Ireland in 2001 and worked in the security industry. More recently he has been working as a training consultant.

He has put himself forward as a candidate for Rotunda ward in Dublin - an area that has more than 50% non-Irish nationals. Mr Macphoso hopes to take up the fight against racial discrimination as a Dublin city councillor.

It's kind of ironical that a former fighter against apartheid should be taking up the struggle in a country that knows all about being treated as a second class citizen. The long and troubled relationship with Britain has been a rocky one and Irish migrant workers in England never had it easy. But the unfortunate fact is that discrimination has made it challenging for those immigrants seeking a new life in Ireland and the expectation of equal treatment.

When the economy began to slow down in 2008 resulting in a slump in the construction industry, a percentage of migrants headed back home. Some said they had concerns about a backlash. The Polish community in Ireland, estimated at around 230,000, has experienced the largest exodus of workers. Many of these workers complained about discrimination in the workplace.

Discrimination isn't always workplace related. Not so long ago in the Dublin suburb of Balbriggan approximately 90 kids were unable to find a place in local schools. Almost all of these children were black. The fact that most of them were Irish-born and thus citizens, appeared to make little difference to the problems their families had in placing them.

Violent incidents have occurred that raise questions about the targeting of foreigners. A Pole named Kazik Anhalt was cut up in a knife attack in Clondalkin and two other Poles, Pawel Kalite and Marius Szwajkos, were killed in a screwdriver attack. The police claim there was no anti-foreigner bias in the attack, but not everyone buys this.

A Guardian article relates the story of a woman named Mutale who comes from Zambia. While in the Dublin city center on Henry Street she noticed a woman carrying a bag with a purse hanging out of it. When Mutale alerted the woman, instead of getting a "thank you" she was accosted with "Mind your business, you black bitch, and fuck off back to your own country."

Patrick Macphoso says that racial abuse is widespread in Ireland. He offered the example of "Irish only" internet ads and points out that there are no laws to ban that type of advertising.

Macphoso:

"Abuse is on the increase because people across the board are losing jobs. It seems that it is much harder to racially abuse someone or discriminate against them in the UK than in Ireland. This has got to change."

Macphoso's concerns are backed up in a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute of Ireland. Its research shows that job applicants with Irish names are more likely to get jobs than those with non-Irish names.

Patrick Macphoso thought his activist days were behind him, but he's stepping up to the plate again - " I came over to Ireland to build a new life but I can't stand by and do nothing while some people from overseas are being treated like slaves."

Related Guardian article here.