Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I've got a little list


Given that I, though Irish, have enjoyed certain British privileges (free health care, free college education), I will now sort of balance my previous anti-Brit post below by noting that the Home Office has released a list of 16 persons refused entry to the U.K., because they are believed to be 'promoters of hate.'


On the list there's Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal, and also Yunis Al Astal (not him!) as well as (who else?) Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim (recent photo above) and Safwat "Big Ian" Hijazi. These all are some variation of Muslim extremist preacher.


The press release, amusingly, reads a little bit like a breathless cast list for a bad soap opera:

"Amir Siddique: Preacher. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs. Is often seen in the Crown and Bucket drinking Red Bull and vodkas while bitching about his girlfriend."


But there are three names on the list which Americans may recognize: Fred Phelps Snr, Shirley Phelps-Roper, and, separately, Michael Alan Weiner (also known as Michael Savage). Rev. and Mrs. Phelps are the notorious "God Hates Fags" morons from Asshole City in the great state of WhoGivesAFuck (it's between Missouri and KantFindAMap). Radio chat show host Michael Savage is a sort of full-strength filterless hi-tar menthol Rush Limbaugh.


(Note: Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim is considered so dangerous that he is sometimes called "the Iris Robinson of Karachi.")