British MPs have begun contemplating if the American presidential hopeful and billionaire businessman, Donald Trump’s racist comments about Muslims should pave the way for Britain to ban his entry into the country.
A government e-petition to block Donald Trump from entering the UK will be considered for debate in parliament, after it received more than 250,000 signatures online.
Donald Trump’s comments that no Muslims should be allowed into the USA has become a dominating theme of public discourse in UK, a country known for its religious pluralism.
Britain’s Channel 4 hosted a debate with Nick Ferrari, journalist and presenter of Breakfast Show on LBC Radio
and Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP from Hampstead and Kilburn in London to debate if the proposition to ban Trump’s future entry into UK was right.
The debate began by Jon Snow, the presenter of Channel 4’s flagship new programme, asking Ferrari if he found himself sympathetic to ‘banning Mr Trump.’
This is how the debate progressed from here on.
Ferrari: Nope, I’m a journalist and my first position is to oppose all bans all censorship unless it can be shown that someone’s health, someone’s well being and someone’s safety is at risk or would cause mass riots. Let me just say, Trump’s position is un-American as your correspondent said. It’s unworkable, it’s wrong, it’s offensive. But we don’t have a right not to be offended. There’s a right to freedom of expression. It’s enshrined in Ofcom(British media watchdog) code, It’s enshrined in the BBC code. Sometimes, we will hear things we don’t like.
Tulip: Not only Donal Trump’s comments are deeply disrespectful, they are also dangerous. But the truth is, we also have laws in this country that condemn hate rhetoric and for me Donald Trump’s comments are akin to hate rhetoric. So he’s sprouting hate rhetoric. We’ve banned 84 hate preachers last year as Theresa May (British Home Secretary) said, from coming into the country. Why should it be any different for Donald Trump?
Nick: Tulip, I cannot see the hate. I agree with you, it’s totally wrong, it is offensive. But it is not as if he is saying.’we should celebrate the death of Americans on the tower block, we should strap explosives to ourselves. He’s made a totally unfounded and ridiculous thing. Actually, Boris Johnson ( London Mayor) was right. He would benefit by coming to a country like Britain. I’ve lived and worked in US. What we have achieved in Britain, Paris can learn from Amerca can learn from. We do reach out to communities. I’m sure you too work hard in your own constituency. Not allowing him in, class him as a preacher of hate, frankly Tulip, it’s absolutely off with the fairies.
Tulip: Donald Trump is interviewing for the most powerful job in the world. What he has done is equated the entire Muslim population with a small group of terrorists, who manipulate religion to suit their own needs. If that’s not hate rhetoric, then I don’t know what is. We have made sure that we don’t allow people who preach hate into our country. Why should we be making an exception for someone? Is it because he’s a billionaireIs it because he’s a politician? We do not accept people who are not conducive to the common good of people here. That’s what the Home Office says. And for me his words are not conducive to the good of people in Britain.
Nick: So, who’s going to be the arbiter of what is the common good? Is it going to be the elected panel of MPs expressing views that we don’t quite like? Let me say it again Tulip, I can’t see how you get me to the fact that anyone is in danger of actual physical harm? (What Trump said)It’s a nutty view, it’s a ridiculous view. As I think George Osborne (Chancellor of Exchequer) said on the piece, bring him in, let’s debate him, let him see how stupid he is. Don’t give him the privilege of being the man, who’s not allowed in this country. That is the wrong way to go. We are smarter, we are better, we are wiser, we can show that.
Tulip: There’s the 101 people we banned after the 7 July attacks from coming into this country because they were not in tune with the cohesive nature of our country. Many of them were Muslim hate preachers. We didn’t allow them in because they don’t share our values and they don’t fit in the community we have here. Donald Trump is that man. These are not rules I’m making up. These are not rules that MPs are making up. This is the law of the land.This is the Rcae and Relations Act of 2006. And no one should be above the law especially Donald Trump.
Nick: Someone once said that I don’t mind not agreeing with what you say but I will defend to the death. I think it was Voltaire, who said that I will defend to the death. Again Tulip, no one’s life is at risk because of this man. He’s shown himself to be an idiot. We should be underscoring that.
Tulip: I don’t think we should dismiss his words as being funny, being idiotic. I don’t think those are the wordss that we should be using for him. This man is dangerous. He has a huge platform. What he’s saying that the entire Muslim population is equated with a small group of terrorists. He said that no Muslims should be allowed into the US. Do you realise that we may have a mayor of Muslim origin in London next year. Are they going to stop Siddiq (Khan, Labour MP) from going to the USA?
Nick: It’s unworkable, It’s un-American. You are right. It can’t happen.
