I very much doubt that many of you have heard of the sleepy market town of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire, England. With a population of around 12,000, it rarely makes headline news, but is now the battleground over the limits of freedome of expression and the nature of protest.
Wootton Bassett is close to RAF Lyneham - an airforce base that is the destination for the coffins of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Although overt patriotism of this kind were rare between WWII and the end of the 20th century, the citizens of Wootton Bassett and other towns now line the streets to salute the sacrifice made by British soliders, and to welcome back both the coffins and the marching battallions of those who servive to fight another tour of duty.
Now the town has made the news because an extreme Islamist group, Islam4UK, have chosen the small town for a demonstration of their own - carrying coffins to represent the innocent Muslims they accuse 'Anglian' troops of slaying. Islam4UK are the British 'platform' for the banned extremist group Al-Muhajiroun, and seek Sharia law for the UK, and that Britain should become an Islamic State.
This, then, becomes a more complex political battle.
Firstly there is the freedom of expression argument. Until the 2000 Human Rights Act translated the 1997 European Convention on Human Rights into British Law, there was no formal and legal 'right to freedom of expression' to parallel the US First Amendment. Now, subject to public safety controls decided upon by the police, demonstrations are licensed and legal.
Britain is no stranger to provocative demonstrations - one of the main flashpoints of violence in Northern Ireland centred around the insistance of the Orange Orders (the Protestant, Unionist groups) that they should be allowed their parades down Catholic Nationalist streets and through Catholic Nationalist areas. Similarly, the reasoning of 'preventing violence and civil disorder' is frequently used to deny or modify requests for protests, and protests remain focal points for opposing sides to clash - such as the Countryside Alliance marches in favour of foxhunting versus animal rights activists, or the anti-war marches that attracted some counter-protests.
The British National Party, an extreme whites-only party, have said they will marshall a counter demonstration, and other similar groups like the English Defence League (who are reported to focus on politicising football/soccer hooligans) will likely attend.
Whilst Islam4UK are almost universally reviled for their views and insensitivity in choosing Wootton Bassett, it now seems that they may have succeeded in attracting the formal ire of the political classes. Politicians on both sides of the House of Commons have condemned their decision, and it is possible that the march will e refused permission by the police.
In the summer, former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith refused entry to the UK to both the Westboro Baptist Church and to Dutch politician Geert Wilders (who has produced the anti-Islam film 'Fitna') on public order grounds.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am interested in American reactions to this story. The integration of Islam into American society has been far more successful (albeit with much lower proportions of Muslims in the population) than into European society. Even politicians of the Centre and the Left acknowlegde the tension between liberal societies and more radical Islamist politics, and the focus on 'Eurabia' or 'the Islamification of Europe' is a common talking point for the radical Right. I recognise that this is dismissed by many on the progressive wing of US politics, but the feeling (however false) is so widespread that it needs addressing somehow - because the possibility of a Far Right backlash is far more menacing than the threat of Islamism and terrorism.
Sadly, this incident will only inflame British opinion against Islam, and acts to bolster the Far Right. I would be interested to see whether a similar march, say in the nearest town to Dover Airforce Base would be permitted. I recognise that the Westboro Baptist Church have held small demonstrations, but wonder whether American politicians and the public would be as tolerant of a group of several hundred Muslisms who support the replacement of the Constitution with the Koran and Sharia Law.
I actually support the right of Islam4UK to march, though if the BNP counter-protest goes ahead, I think the police would have valid public safety concerns. No-one is likely to come out of this well, and the best we can maybe hope for is that all come out of this unhurt.