BBC Programme About the Anti-Muslim Welsh Defence League
Categories: Latest News
Monday December 06 2010
| Tonight at 8:30pm, BBC One Wales will air a programme titled “Unmasked: Welsh Defence League” as part of an undercover investigation in to the group that is aligned to the extremist English Defence League. |
From BBC News:
“An undercover investigation by BBC Wales into a group campaigning against Muslim extremists has found links with neo-Nazi supporters.”
“Secretly-filmed footage in Monday’s Week In Week Out programme also exposes criminal activity among some Welsh Defence League (WDL) supporters.”
“A judge who has examined the evidence in the programme said some were acting to ‘inflame racial hatred’.”
“Posing as a new member of the group, an undercover journalist accompanied a number of Welsh supporters to a protest.”
“Some were caught on camera and online, making racist comments about Muslims.”
“Two admitted involvement in racist violence at demonstrations organised by the defence leagues in other parts of the country.”
“One invited other WDL followers to join him in burning a Koran and joked online about how best to kill black people.”
“Another talks about driving Muslims out of the south Wales valleys.”
In May this year, a similar documentary titled “Young, British and Angry” investigated the English Defence League. The EDL also claims that it is not racist or anti-Muslim, but that documentary revealed a rather different picture. Moreover, despite claims to the contrary, EDL demonstrations make little distinction between extremists and the wider British Muslim community.
Shadow Welsh secretary Peter Hain highlighted the dangers that the likes of the WDL and EDL pose to society and to where their hate messages could lead. He said:
“I think every mainstream politician in Wales, wherever they are based, should make it a priority to talk to young people to explain the WDL is in a long line that goes back through the Nazis.
“And I don’t say that lightly because, that is the exact political situation in which Hitler was able to come into power because mainstream politicians did not deal with the grievances in Germany.
“Now I’m not suggesting the WDL is anything like as powerful as Hitler’s Nazi party became, the WDL is a tiny marginalised party, but once you allow these groups to gain credibility that’s where you could end up.”
If you are in Wales and would like to contribute your thoughts on the programme, you can do so via the BBC Points of View message board. We would also welcome your contribution on the ENGAGE site, which you can make via our comments box.