Friday 18 November 2011

Identity Disorder

That of Abdul Rafiq, the only Muslim member of the English Defence League, and a somewhat overzealous supporter of Glasgow Rangers. The BNP had a Sikh at one time. It has Jews, if, unlike most other people, they are still in it. Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu have Druze.

But this case goes beyond even that. Abdul Rafiq is one of the reasons why a Sikh and some Jews are or were in the BNP, and why there are Druze in Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu. He is one of those against whom the English Defence League exists, in its own terms, to defend England, where he and his beloved football team are not located.

Glasgow has always been a complicated place where these things are concerned. The obvious sectarian division, though important, was never the half of it. But even within that, if anyone can explain this one, then I shall be extremely surprised. The floor is yours, dear readers.

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