Hope not Hate

[[File:Hope not hate.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Light for all and Nazis burn.]]
{{UKpolitics}}
'''Hope not Hate''' (identified on official materials, but pretty much nowhere else, as '''HOPE not hate''') is a British anti-[[fascist]] campaign emphasizing the [[racism]] espoused by said fascists. It was originally a front of the anti-fascist magazine ''[[Searchlight]]'' (now published by the magazine's founders through a separate outfit after being booted out) and is now chiefly supported by various British [[labor union|trade unions]],<ref name=HnH1>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20110604040253/http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/about-us/|title=What is the HOPE not hate campaign?|publisher=HOPE not hate|accessdate=19 March 2015}}</ref><ref>[https://archive.ph/jzeqx "Trade Union Friends of HOPE not hate: Unity is strength"], ''HOPE not hate''. (Archived 7 July 2013 at 13:18:17 UTC using archive.ph)</ref><ref>[http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/index.php/content/bnp-wins-seats/ "HOPE not hate"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref> many of which support the [[Labour Party]] or other minor parties to the left of Labour.<ref>The organisation has a designated [http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/campaigns/labour/ "Labour Friends of HOPE not hate" section]; no other political party in the UK has this honour.</ref>

It is fronted by the activist Nick Lowles.

==Activities==
The campaign's activities include bus tours<ref>{{cite web |date=15 May 2009 |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20090925051400/http://www.trinitymirror.com/2009/05/third-successive-year-for-mirrors-hope-not-hate-tour.html|title=Third Successive Year for Mirror's Hope Not Hate Tour]|publisher=Trinitymirror plc |accessdate=24 October 2015}}</ref> and a petition to former [[BNP]] leader [[Nick Griffin]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20091117174111/http://notinmyname.tv/ "Nick Griffin's BNP: Not In My Name  |  Nick Griffin: Not in my name"]. ''notinmyname.tv''. Archived from [http://notinmyname.tv/ the original] on 17 November 2009.</ref> Its website runs two blogs — one by Nick Lowles, the other by "the Insider" — that provide regular news on far-right movements.<ref>[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/nick "Nick Lowles’ blog"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref><ref>[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/insider "The Insider’s blog"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref>

==Criticism==
HnH has been accused by some critics{{who}} of ignoring [[Islamic extremism]]; however, the campaign's site has targeted [[Muslim]] fundamentalist [[Haitham al-Haddad]],<ref>Nick Lowles. [http://web.archive.org/web/20130912055404/http://hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/1579/uninvited "Uninvited"], ''Nick Lowles' Blog''. Friday, 10 February 2012, 11:18. (Archived 12 September 2013 via Wayback Machine)</ref> denounced [[honour killings]],<ref>Nick Lowles, [http://web.archive.org/web/20130302194418/http://hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/1502/the-shame-of-honour-attacks "The shame of honour attacks"] ''Nick Lowles' blog''. Saturday, 3 December 2011, 18:27. (Archived 2 March 2013 using the Wayback Machine).</ref> and includes [[al-Muhajiroun]] alongside the BNP, the EDL, and others in its profiles of hate groups.<ref>[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/hate-groups/am/ "Hate Files: The Al-Muhajiroun network"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref>

Though HnH, being an anti-fascist campaign, understandably focuses primarily on the hate espoused by fascists while letting other hate off comparatively easy, at least Hope not Hate does not appear to be actively ''aligning'' itself with Islamists — unlike [[Unite Against Fascism]].<ref>[http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/02/25/report-unite-against-fascism-conference-2012 "Workers' Liberty"]. ''Workers' Liberty''. </ref><ref>[http://www.onelawforall.org.uk/uaf-letter/ "UAF Letter"]. ''onelawforall.org.uk''. </ref>

The campaign's opposition to al-Haddad, incidentally, has resulted in its condemnation by Muslim nut Laura Stuart and the ranting saxophonist [[Gilad Atzmon]] (the latter branding it "a Zionist outlet").<ref>Laura Stuart. [http://web.archive.org/web/20120213093829/http://www.deliberation.info/hope-not-hate-reveals-islamophobia/ "Hope not Hate Reveals – Islamophobia"] ''deliberation.info''. Archived 13 February 2012 by the Wayback Machine).</ref>

==Counter-Jihad report==
[[File:HopeNotHateTweet.png|left|thumb|300px|Hope not Hate spokesman Matthew Collins, curiously equating freedom of speech with Nazi Germany.]]
{{main|Counter-jihad}}
In April 2012, tying in with the trial of [[Anders Behring Breivik]], HnH released 
its official shit-list
 a report on what it termed the "Counter-Jihad movement". The report describes the Counter-Jihad movement as "the new face of the far right in Europe and North America", with an ideology defined by [[Islamophobia|the treatment of all Muslims as extremists]] and the belief that, due to immigration and [[multiculturalism]], [[Eurabia|the West is in danger of]] [[Caliphate|being taken over by Islam]]. The report lists hundreds of individuals and organisations involved in the alleged movement; according to HnH, each of them is partially responsible for Breivik's killing spree ([[guilt by association]], perhaps).<ref>[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/counter-jihad/ "Counter-Jihad report"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref>

The list is broken up by country; amongst the names included are the [[American Family Association]]; [[Pamela Geller]] and her Atlas Shrugs blog; [[WorldNetDaily]];<ref>[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/counter-jihad/country/USA "Counter-Jihad report: international map USA"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref> the BNP; [[Combined Ex Forces]]; [[Stephen Lennon]] and his English Defence League; [[March for England]]; and [[Alan Lake]].<ref name=jihaduk>[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/counter-jihad/country/UK "Counter-Jihad report: international map UK"]. ''hopenothate.org.uk''. </ref> The resulting overview tends to veer from well-researched information to daft hyperbole: [[English Shieldwall]], a tiny nationalist organisation that currently appears to consist of one guy and his mates ranting on a Facebook page, is described as "[[Conspiracy theory|shadowy]]".<ref name=jihaduk/>

Although taken at face value by news services,<ref>Kari Huus. [http://web.archive.org/web/20120420153827/http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/16/11230654-report-threat-from-anti-jihadist-extremists-grows?chromedomain=usnews "Report: Threat from anti-jihadist extremists grows"] ''[[MSNBC]] World News''. (Archived 20 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine)</ref><ref>Mark Townsend. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/14/breivik-trial-norway-mass-murderer "Far-right anti-Muslim network on rise globally as Breivik trial opens"]. ''the Guardian''.</ref> the report has been criticised. Blogger "Happy Propagandist" dismissed it as "complete nonsense", in particular objecting to the inclusion of three Christian charities: the Christian Concern, the Christian Legal Centre, and the Barnabus Fund. "Unfortunately, this report seems more like a knee-jerk list conflating hooligan groups, anti-Islamists, conservatives, and those who are simply opposed to immigration or are concerned about the persecution of non-Muslims", concludes the post.<ref>The blog has since become defunct.</ref> In fact, critics of Islam who are generally classed as left-of-centre (such as [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Taslima Nasrin]], or [[One Law for All]]) are absent from the list.

===Controversial entries===
As noted above, the inclusion of the Barnabas Fund, a charity for minority Christians in majority Muslim countries, resulted in objections; the organisation was later removed from the list. Similarly, [[Roger Scruton]]'s entry caused some to raise their eyebrows.<ref>[https://twitter.com/#!/PhilosophyExp/status/193025067783950338 "Twitter"]. ''twitter.com''. </ref><ref>[http://twitter.com/#!/S8mB/status/191879066075398144 "Twitter"]. ''twitter.com''. </ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/ Hope not Hate website]

==See also==
*[[Britons Against Left-Wing Extremism]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Political action groups]]
[[Category:Left-wing activists]]

Categories: Political action groups, Left-wing activists