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Tom Wise MEP in the European Parliament Ind - Dem Group UK Independence Party UKIP Eastern Region Region

EU Restrictions on the Freedom of Religious Expression.

Last year I was greatly honoured to be invited to parade with British Sikhs at the Menin Gate, in Ypres. I have the greatest respect for the Sikh community, and have always felt that their quiet but valuable contribution to our country is under appreciated. Not many people realise that in the dark days of the Great War, the Sikhs were amongst the first to take up positions alongside our troops. They fought with a ferocity and determination that their descendants should be proud of.

Today we will begin another 'plenary session' at the parliament in Brussels, and I was delighted this morning to welcome my very good friends who are here to draw attention to restrictions being placed on their freedom of religious expression.

In an increasingly secularised EU, we should all be concerned about restrictions being imposed in this, or indeed any other, areas of our lives.

Sikhs fought for our freedom, so I am happy to support them in whatever way I am able.

Tom Wise MEP

Brussels, 07 May 2008.

mkpdavies

Is this with regards to their daggers they want to carry on display?

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BASILDON BOY

When in Rome...

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Ea of Dune

I wonder if they will ban Scots from wearing Dirks in their stockings when dressed up for weddings/burns night etc. next?


Ea of dune

Legin

And where was our leader??? Down the pub???

michaelwilcox

This amazes me. He's well and truly damned if he does something and damned if he doesn't do anything by those who post on this forum. On one hand people will be criticising him for doing everything 'not allowing any talent to develop hence sustaining his control of the party' whilst on the other he is criticised as soon as someone else does something because he didn't do it first. As often said by the proponents of the inactivity criticisms - Nigel's job is not to do everything. Does Gordon Brown announce the budget these days? Or does he divert that out to Alistair Darling? Is David Cameron mayor of London or does he let Boris Johnson manage London to his own accord? The answers to them two very poor examples are both firm 'no's. Accepted, they will probably have at least some input into what goes on but they delegate the responsibilities to their supporters. That is what a leader does! The leader does not perform every activity within a campaign - do you expect him to go and deliver all the leaflets for each and every one of the 450 odd wards we fought in the recent local elections? It would be impossible!

Rather than wasting time by questioning what Nigel Farage is doing why don't you do something constructive and help out your local branch or something helpful in another way to our cause. I know it is hypocritical to be writing this in response to your comments as I am pretty much committing the same sin, but I can't help but feel that many of his critics are rather harsh given that not all of his work is in the public eye. For example the public meeting he did in Swindon, attendance at university debates and attending branch AGMs are some of the many things that I know he does which others in UKIP may not hear about. To think about what he does that we may not know of is quite frankly a staggering thought.

In regard to Tom Wise MEP, I think what he has done here is brilliant and it is a perfect example of what I can only wish would get out to the wider British public. It shows our common sense appeal, and that we don't just apply to the white British public but anybody who is proud to label themselves as British (or perhaps English if you are a member with a dislike for the Union/ idea of British identity). My concerns do lie though with what exactly he is referring to when he discusses the right of freedom for religious expression. My assumption is of course that it is something vaguely similar to the case where that airline hostess was banned by BA from wearing her crucifix necklace. More like this please!

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gawain

Just to give you all a heads up.

Of the UKIP MEPs on parade with the Sikhs today, Derek Clark should take the plaudits. For the third year in succession he has stuck with them whilst others waltzed through, got the photo and disappeared.

The trip was supposedly sponsored by Nena Gill (Lab) and Glenis Wilmott (Lab). Godfrey Bloom, who recently travelled to Amritsar asked me to ensure that everything was OK with the Sikh visit to Brussels. I tried to help but discovered that niether of the so- called sponsors had done a thing (other than book a room in an area of the parliament to which they must have known that the Sikhs would have been dissallowed to appear - due the kirpan issue).

At 10 o'clock this morning, Derek Clark, Mike Nattrass, Gerard Batten and Tom Wise appeared to discuss issues with the Sikh delegation.

Later some Lib Dems and Labour types turned up to get some glory, but the only people who went out of their way to be helpful were the UKIP MEPs (Bloom is not in Brussels this week but directed me)

John Whittaker and Farage spoke to some constituency Sikhs at a later part of the day.

After a huge amount of mucking around on the part of the Parliament authorities I managed to find them a room from where they contuinue their lobby. Clark stayed with them at all time sto ensure that problems were smoothed over.

I spoke to them (about 250 in total) and asked them if they were surprised that the only British party that seemed to give a damn was UKIP. They agreed that they were surprised. I then pointed out that these days we are the only party with a historical sense, the rest believe that history statrts with them.

I was given around of applause and a vote of thanks, thanks that was extended to the whole party.

After the meeting a number of senior Sikh figures spopke to me privately and assured me that they would be reporting back to the Sikh community at large in the UK that the only party to make an effort and give them a fair hearing was UKIP.

As a final point, there will be another visit in Novemeber, when they will all be turning up on mass again to go to Ypres and Neuve Chappelle ( the Indian WWI Memorial). This visit will be hostd by Godfrey Bloom.

All in all a good days work which I believe will be, in the long term very helpfull. Thank s to all the UKIP staff and MEPs who made it so

gawain

Oh yers and Derek Clark will be on Central TV news tomorrow on this subject

Raymond Finch

This is the sort of thing that makes me proud of our party.
As you so rightly said Gawain: "The only party with a historical sense".

Thanks for what you did for them.

steve fowler

Hear,hear! i hope they go back and tell their family and friends about UKIP standing up for them.

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