The Deputy Leader of the far-right British National Party, Simon Darby, has caused outrage after calling the Archbishop of York an ‘ambitious African’ and made ‘spear thrower’ comments about Ugandans.
Dr John Sentamu, the 97th Archbishop of York, is the first black Archbishop of York.
He came to Britain in 1974 to escape Idi Amin. Sentamu practised as an advocate of the High Court of Uganda. He incurred the wrath of Idi Amin because of his judicial independence and was locked up for 90 days, during which time he was terribly beaten.
This latest incident comes after the BNP's leader, Nick Griffin, said that a "bloodless genocide" is taking place in Britain.
Speaking to the BBC on St George’s Day (23rd April) to defend a party leaflet that said black and Asian Britons ‘do not exist’, Griffin said that calling such people British denied indigenous people their own identity.
The Archbishop of York is the third-highest-ranked figure in the Church of England, after the Monarch (who is the Head) and the Archbishop of Canterbury. His official residence is Bishopthorpe Palace in York.
Racism row as BNP deputy calls Archbishop of York an 'ambitious African'
03rd May 2009
Daily Mail
The deputy leader of the British National Party was today branded a racist after calling the Archbishop of York an ‘ambitious African’ and made ‘spear thrower’ comments about Ugandans.
Simon Darby criticised Uganda-born Dr John Sentamu after the cleric hit out against the BNP’s call for black and Asian Britons to be described as ‘racial foreigners’ in future.
Darby, who is bidding to become a Midlands Euro MP, said: ‘Dr Sentamu should not interfere in the political process.
Row: British National Party deputy leader Simon Darby also made 'spear' comments to attack Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu
‘He’s not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn’t, English.
‘If I went to Uganda and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I’d still be picking spears out of myself now.’
He also described Dr Sentamu as an ‘anti-British zealot’ and warned that he should ‘have thought about the consequences’ of speaking out against the far-Right party.
In his online blog, in an entry dated April 23 - St George's Day - and headed “And the Lord said, arise thou art all English”, Darby wrote: ‘As if the responsibilities of being the Archbishop of York were not enough, the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English.’
His comments are the latest shots to be fired in a war of words between Dr Sentamu and the BNP which broke out after the cleric branded suggestions by leader Griffin that a ‘bloodless genocide’ is taking place in Britain as ‘beyond belief’.
Speaking to the BBC on St George’s day to defend a party leaflet that said black and Asian Britons ‘do not exist’, Griffin said that calling such people British denied indigenous people their own identity.
BNP leader Nick Griffin
He added: ‘In civic terms they are British, British also has a meaning as an ethnic description.
‘These people are “black residents’ of the UK etc, and are no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese.
‘Collectively, foreign residents of other races should be referred to as “racial foreigners’, a non-pejorative term... The key in such matters is above all to maintain necessary distinctions while avoiding provocation and insult.’
Griffin added: ‘We don’t subscribe to the politically correct fiction that just because they happen to be born in Britain, a Pakistani is a Briton. They”re not.
They remain of Pakistani stock.
‘You can’t say that especially large numbers of people can come from the rest of the world and assume an English identity without denying the English their own identity, and I would say that’s wrong.
‘In a very subtle way, it’s a sort of bloodless genocide.’
But Dr Sentamu, a vocal supporter of making St George’s Day a public holiday to promote English unity, said it was not up to the BNP to define Englishness.
He said: ‘You don’t have to be a member of the BNP to be clearly English, and it is quite a mistake to suggest that everybody who wants to affirm Englishness affirms that narrow thinking.
‘This “bloodless genocide”? I think that is just language which is beyond belief.’
Darby’s comments have been called ‘poisonous’ by anti-racism campaigners.
A spokesman for anti-fascism group Searchlight, said: ‘These disgusting threats and thinly veiled racism from its senior leadership exposes the real face of the BNP.
‘Even someone as internationally respected as Dr Sentamu is not immune from their poisonous slurs.
‘The European election campaign has not even officially started, and already the BNP’s mask of moderation has melted away’.
But Darby said: ‘I stand by my quotes. I don’t see how that is offensive or racist.
‘It can be twisted and distorted to look that way but what I am saying is factual.
‘What I am saying is, if I went to Uganda and I went to a Ugandan village and said that the people there were genetic mongrels and that they had no right to their Ugandan identity I would be picking out spears for days.
‘And rightly so. I wouldn’t say that but if I did I would be attacked and I would deserve to be attacked. I certainly wouldn’t need a return ticket.
‘There are lots of indigenous people there and in the bush they have spears, that is their lifestyle.
‘I am not implying that all Ugandan people use spears at all, I was speaking specifically about the indigenous people.
‘I have respect for their identity, I wouldn’t dream of denying Ugandan tribes people their identity but the contrast is that that is what he is doing.
‘If I went there and preached down to those indigenous people in the same way that Sentamu does to us then I’d be attacked.
‘If I was derogatory, condescending and arrogant - because that’s what John Sentamu is - I would be attacked. And rightly so.’
dailymail.co.uk
Dr John Sentamu, the 97th Archbishop of York, is the first black Archbishop of York.
He came to Britain in 1974 to escape Idi Amin. Sentamu practised as an advocate of the High Court of Uganda. He incurred the wrath of Idi Amin because of his judicial independence and was locked up for 90 days, during which time he was terribly beaten.
This latest incident comes after the BNP's leader, Nick Griffin, said that a "bloodless genocide" is taking place in Britain.
Speaking to the BBC on St George’s Day (23rd April) to defend a party leaflet that said black and Asian Britons ‘do not exist’, Griffin said that calling such people British denied indigenous people their own identity.
The Archbishop of York is the third-highest-ranked figure in the Church of England, after the Monarch (who is the Head) and the Archbishop of Canterbury. His official residence is Bishopthorpe Palace in York.
Racism row as BNP deputy calls Archbishop of York an 'ambitious African'
03rd May 2009
Daily Mail
The deputy leader of the British National Party was today branded a racist after calling the Archbishop of York an ‘ambitious African’ and made ‘spear thrower’ comments about Ugandans.
Simon Darby criticised Uganda-born Dr John Sentamu after the cleric hit out against the BNP’s call for black and Asian Britons to be described as ‘racial foreigners’ in future.
Darby, who is bidding to become a Midlands Euro MP, said: ‘Dr Sentamu should not interfere in the political process.
Row: British National Party deputy leader Simon Darby also made 'spear' comments to attack Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu
‘He’s not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn’t, English.
‘If I went to Uganda and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I’d still be picking spears out of myself now.’
He also described Dr Sentamu as an ‘anti-British zealot’ and warned that he should ‘have thought about the consequences’ of speaking out against the far-Right party.
In his online blog, in an entry dated April 23 - St George's Day - and headed “And the Lord said, arise thou art all English”, Darby wrote: ‘As if the responsibilities of being the Archbishop of York were not enough, the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English.’
His comments are the latest shots to be fired in a war of words between Dr Sentamu and the BNP which broke out after the cleric branded suggestions by leader Griffin that a ‘bloodless genocide’ is taking place in Britain as ‘beyond belief’.
Speaking to the BBC on St George’s day to defend a party leaflet that said black and Asian Britons ‘do not exist’, Griffin said that calling such people British denied indigenous people their own identity.
BNP leader Nick Griffin
He added: ‘In civic terms they are British, British also has a meaning as an ethnic description.
‘These people are “black residents’ of the UK etc, and are no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese.
‘Collectively, foreign residents of other races should be referred to as “racial foreigners’, a non-pejorative term... The key in such matters is above all to maintain necessary distinctions while avoiding provocation and insult.’
Griffin added: ‘We don’t subscribe to the politically correct fiction that just because they happen to be born in Britain, a Pakistani is a Briton. They”re not.
They remain of Pakistani stock.
‘You can’t say that especially large numbers of people can come from the rest of the world and assume an English identity without denying the English their own identity, and I would say that’s wrong.
‘In a very subtle way, it’s a sort of bloodless genocide.’
But Dr Sentamu, a vocal supporter of making St George’s Day a public holiday to promote English unity, said it was not up to the BNP to define Englishness.
He said: ‘You don’t have to be a member of the BNP to be clearly English, and it is quite a mistake to suggest that everybody who wants to affirm Englishness affirms that narrow thinking.
‘This “bloodless genocide”? I think that is just language which is beyond belief.’
Darby’s comments have been called ‘poisonous’ by anti-racism campaigners.
A spokesman for anti-fascism group Searchlight, said: ‘These disgusting threats and thinly veiled racism from its senior leadership exposes the real face of the BNP.
‘Even someone as internationally respected as Dr Sentamu is not immune from their poisonous slurs.
‘The European election campaign has not even officially started, and already the BNP’s mask of moderation has melted away’.
But Darby said: ‘I stand by my quotes. I don’t see how that is offensive or racist.
‘It can be twisted and distorted to look that way but what I am saying is factual.
‘What I am saying is, if I went to Uganda and I went to a Ugandan village and said that the people there were genetic mongrels and that they had no right to their Ugandan identity I would be picking out spears for days.
‘And rightly so. I wouldn’t say that but if I did I would be attacked and I would deserve to be attacked. I certainly wouldn’t need a return ticket.
‘There are lots of indigenous people there and in the bush they have spears, that is their lifestyle.
‘I am not implying that all Ugandan people use spears at all, I was speaking specifically about the indigenous people.
‘I have respect for their identity, I wouldn’t dream of denying Ugandan tribes people their identity but the contrast is that that is what he is doing.
‘If I went there and preached down to those indigenous people in the same way that Sentamu does to us then I’d be attacked.
‘If I was derogatory, condescending and arrogant - because that’s what John Sentamu is - I would be attacked. And rightly so.’
dailymail.co.uk
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