UK group slams bid to ban Lebanese journalist
Source: Daily Star, 31-01-2008
BEIRUT: Leaders of the Stop the War Coalition in London fired back on Wednesday after the head of the United Kingdom's main opposition Conservative Party called on British authorities to ban a Lebanese journalist and academic from entry into the country.
According to reports in the British media, Conservative Party leader David Cameron on Tuesday branded Ibrahim Moussawi, a lecturer at the American University of Beirut and the chief editor of the Hizbullah-affiliated weekly newspaper Al-Intiqad, "dangerous and divisive," saying that he "should not be allowed in this country."
Moussawi has been invited by the Stop the War Coalition to speak at the World Against War tour of eight cities across the United Kingdom from February 28 through March 4. But Cameron has demanded that British officials prevent Moussawi from attending the events, according to reports by the Press Association, the country's national news agency, and several major British publications.
"It's clear for reasons of our security that we must expel or refuse entry to those who preach hate, pit one faith against another and divide our society," Cameron said during a meeting in London between representatives of his party and a delegation from Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union. "So I call on the government to confirm that ... it will not repeat the mistake of last December and make clear that Moussawi is not welcome in the UK."
Moussawi had attended another World Against War event in London on December 1. Cameron had tried unsuccessfully in November to convince British authorities to prevent him from attending that event as well.
During his speech on Tuesday, Cameron defended his calls for a ban by reiterating an allegation that he first made in November that Moussawi is the "head of Hizbullah's viciously anti-Semitic TV station, Al-Manar." However, while Moussawi previously held the post of foreign news editor and host of a political talk show at Al-Manar, he has not worked for the station for over two years.
Leaders of the Stop the War Coalition said that Cameron's remarks would not influence their decision to host Moussawi in the United Kingdom. "Any attempt to stop anyone from coming to the anti-war tour would be absolutely wrong," Tony Benn, the president of the Stop the War Coalition, told The Daily Star on Wednesday.
Chris Nineham, an officer of the Stop the War Coalition, also defended the decision to invite Moussawi to the World Against War events.
"I don't know where Cameron is getting his information from but it's definitely false information, because Ibrahim Moussawi, whenever he has spoken, has spoken very passionately about the need for cooperation among people around the world, people of different creeds and nationalities," Nineham told The Daily Star.
Nineham added a pledge that his group would continue to speak out "against the war being conducted by [US President] George W. Bush and his allies in the Middle East and beyond."
BEIRUT: Leaders of the Stop the War Coalition in London fired back on Wednesday after the head of the United Kingdom's main opposition Conservative Party called on British authorities to ban a Lebanese journalist and academic from entry into the country.
According to reports in the British media, Conservative Party leader David Cameron on Tuesday branded Ibrahim Moussawi, a lecturer at the American University of Beirut and the chief editor of the Hizbullah-affiliated weekly newspaper Al-Intiqad, "dangerous and divisive," saying that he "should not be allowed in this country."
Moussawi has been invited by the Stop the War Coalition to speak at the World Against War tour of eight cities across the United Kingdom from February 28 through March 4. But Cameron has demanded that British officials prevent Moussawi from attending the events, according to reports by the Press Association, the country's national news agency, and several major British publications.
"It's clear for reasons of our security that we must expel or refuse entry to those who preach hate, pit one faith against another and divide our society," Cameron said during a meeting in London between representatives of his party and a delegation from Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union. "So I call on the government to confirm that ... it will not repeat the mistake of last December and make clear that Moussawi is not welcome in the UK."
Moussawi had attended another World Against War event in London on December 1. Cameron had tried unsuccessfully in November to convince British authorities to prevent him from attending that event as well.
During his speech on Tuesday, Cameron defended his calls for a ban by reiterating an allegation that he first made in November that Moussawi is the "head of Hizbullah's viciously anti-Semitic TV station, Al-Manar." However, while Moussawi previously held the post of foreign news editor and host of a political talk show at Al-Manar, he has not worked for the station for over two years.
Leaders of the Stop the War Coalition said that Cameron's remarks would not influence their decision to host Moussawi in the United Kingdom. "Any attempt to stop anyone from coming to the anti-war tour would be absolutely wrong," Tony Benn, the president of the Stop the War Coalition, told The Daily Star on Wednesday.
Chris Nineham, an officer of the Stop the War Coalition, also defended the decision to invite Moussawi to the World Against War events.
"I don't know where Cameron is getting his information from but it's definitely false information, because Ibrahim Moussawi, whenever he has spoken, has spoken very passionately about the need for cooperation among people around the world, people of different creeds and nationalities," Nineham told The Daily Star.
Nineham added a pledge that his group would continue to speak out "against the war being conducted by [US President] George W. Bush and his allies in the Middle East and beyond."
