King's new clothes nearly disappear in Khartoum

Gordon Brown and his Government were traumatised for just a few moments yesterday evening when the Sharia Court in Khartoum found British teacher Gillian Gibbons, guilty of insulting Islam.

Then, there was that huge sigh of relief when the sentence was announced - 15 days in jail followed by deportation from Sudan. Whitehall had been in a state of sheer panic that the punishment might actually have been 40 lashes and any such degradation of a 54 year-old well-meaning primary school teacher who had just wanted to help the less fortunate children of the Sudan, could well have been a 'nation changing' event for the British people. They would have seen once again with their own eyes, just as they did over the execution of Ken Bigley, that 'the king wasn't wearing any clothes' and that all our Government's spin about Islam being a tolerant and peaceful religion was still just a pack of lies.

Hopefully Gillian will now be able to concentrate her efforts on children nearer to home in her own city of Liverpool.

I was back in the office for a serious day's work yesterday for the first time after a week of being sidelined. There were over 300 emails that needed some sort of response which took up much of the day, and I uploaded last month's issue of Freedom to the website together with a taster for the December issue.

Included in the latest Freedom is a report of the Standards' Board 'clean bill of health' for Colin Auty and Derek Dawson after they were reported by Labour MP Shahid Malik, for singing "Where's it all gone now" outside of his constituency office in Dewsbury. That was reported by the BBC on Wednesday and prompted some interesting feedback from a surprising source.

Dear Martin,

I write to with some hesitation, but feel that if I didn't do so I would be defeating the objective of my role in Ethnic media.

Where I do not wish to make any comment regarding Colin Auty's conduct regarding the incident outside MP Shahid Malik's office, I will say that the lyrics of the 'Auty song', other than the implication of drugs and under aged sexual grooming, are generally, in my personal view, not offensive. I see it as a non-Asian man's wistful views on the changes of his local environment since his childhood.

We are all entitled to reminisce once in a while as long as it's not hurtful to others.

Regards

Ms. Andleeb Hanif
Editor-in-Chief
Asian Express.

I responded to Andleeb Hanif . . .

"Yes, the song is all about a nostalgia for the past and strikes a chord with many of our older supporters. It is not intended to be malicious, but just to ask 'what's happened'? The demographic changes that have taken place in parts of Britain seem to many to have happened so quickly and this is what worries people. Our mainstream politicians seem oblivious to these concerns and hence the growing support for the BNP. I'm pleased you corresponded, let's keep the channel open. Situations need to viewed from different aspects."

I'm starting work on the January edition of Freedom with Nick Griffin's appearance at the Oxford Union the clear frontrunner for the lead story. The media has done its best to try to belittle the importance of the event, but make no mistake the evening was a huge 'credibility step forward' for the British National Party. The antics of those who turned out to try to stop the meeting from going ahead has also played into our hands. Many people, some senior establishment figures, who witnessed Monday night's events where shaken by the ferocity of the rabble opposing free speech and will now have a changed perception of the hero and villain in situations involving the BNP.

Missed Allerdale's BNP meeting last week and Workington Reds excellent 2-1 FA Trophy replay over Nuneation Borough. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel well enough for Hucknall Town's visit to Workington, although my recovery is fragile and I don't want to do anything that might lead to a relapse - so it's a late fitness test and weather check around mid-day.