Equality?

One of today's (Sunday's!) news items concerns the planned visit by Pastor Terry Jones - the Pentecostal pastor who gained a certain notoriety when he threatened to burn copies of the Qur'an on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  It would appear that he has been invited by the EDL (English Defence League) - described in Wikipedia (their own web-site is, apparently, 'under construction') as "... a far-right group formed in 2009." whose "... stated aim is to oppose the spread of Islamism Sharia law and Islamic extremism in England. The description of "far-right" has been disputed by the Head of the UK Police Domestic Extremism Unit, who claims the EDL are "neither far-right, nor extremists".  Pastor Jones, it is reported, has been invited to speak about "the evils of Islam".

British Home Secretary, Theresa May, is considering banning this gentleman from the U.K. and, with the reputation for 'firebrand' preaching that he has acquired - particularly with respect to Islam - one can understand why she would wish to pre-empt any potential trouble.

However, if Pastor Jones is refused admission to this country on the basis that he would be likely to initiate a certain level of trouble, one is obliged to ask why it is that so many extremist Muslim preachers appear to not only be allowed to enter this country and spout their own venomous teaching, but to be permitted to claim various social benefits while they do so!  A certain Abu Hamza, the hook-handed former imam at Finsbury Park Mosque in North London, currently in jail for incitement to murder and stirring up racial hatred, and fighting extradition to the U.S.of A. (at taxpayers' expense?!), comes to mind!

By all means, let us endeavour to keep potential trouble-makers out of the country - but let's make sure that all groups are treated in the same way!   

^{PS  Thanks, Rick.  You're a star! :-)}