Express & Star comment: Hate group an insult to war heroes
There has been some debate about the term ‘hate crime’ in recent weeks and months, and about the determination of the police to pursue this kind of offence as a priority.
There may be some argument over exactly how to define and prioritise different ‘hate crimes’, but the appalling string of offences revealed in one trial at Birmingham Crown Court this week surely meet anyone’s description.
Two Black Country men are among six convicted of being members of banned neo-Nazi group National Action.
It is ironic that these convictions should come the day after the nation remembered those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and the cause of freedom.
Veterans of the Second World War must be horrified to discover that the very kind of people they fought against are now pursuing their vile beliefs on theses shore more than 70 years later.
They certainly did not fight to see such a loathsome pair name their child ‘Adolf’. The crimes of these people are a living, breathing affront to the sacrifices made by our forebears in the fight against fascism.
And we should all be wary of dismissing these terrorists – for that is what they are – of simply being some eccentric extremists.
The head of West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Ward, leaves us in no doubt: “These individuals were not simply racist fantasists; we now know they were a dangerous, well-structured organisation.
“Their aim was to spread neo-Nazi ideology by provoking a race war in the UK and they had spent years acquiring the skills to carry this out. They had researched how to make explosives. They had gathered weapons. They had a clear structure to radicalise others.
“Unchecked they would have inspired violence and spread hatred and fear across the West Midlands.”
These people and their ilk are a clear and present danger to our way of life. As violent and knife crime soars in our community, such hatred fuels the crisis. Frightening weapons were being gathered by these terrorists for their race war.
The officers involved in pursuing and bringing them to justice deserve our congratulations and our thanks.
