Radio 4’s Thought of the Day has labelled Robert Jenrick xenophobic for having concerns about crimes committed by asylum seekers. It was just a matter of time…
Author Dr Krish Kandiah, academic and “social entrepreneur,” directly attacked the Shadow Justice Secretary:
“A front page story in the Mail on Sunday quoted shadow justice minister Robert Jenrick talking about his fears for his young daughters. He said, “I certainly don’t want my children to share a neighborhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally and about whom we know next to nothing.” These words echo a fear many have absorbed. Fear of the stranger. The technical name for this is xenophobia. All phobias are by definition irrational. Nevertheless, they have a huge impact. It is understandable that many people are scared by the unknown, especially if they’ve been told illegality and unfairness are part of the story. However, over the past year, xenophobia has fueled angry protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, deepening divisions in our communities.”
Kandiah went further:
“After rigorous Home Office assessment, the majority of people arriving in small boats are found to be genuinely fleeing war, persecution, and famine – circumstances we would never wish on our own families. The idea that they pose a greater risk to our children than those already within our communities isn’t supported by evidence. Most crimes against children are committed not by strangers, but by people they know, often from within their own families or neighborhoods.”
The small boat migrants fleeing the war, persecution, and famine in… France. How did this get past the editorial checks…
Guido waited with anticipation for the ten minutes of proceeding robust debate for editorial balance. None there came…
A Tory source said: “Thought for the Day has long descended into a bunch of nobodies wittering on about their mad-hat socialist ideas. If the BBC are not prepared to broadcast serious religious voices they should at least ensure the second rate ones they do find are balanced.”
UPDATE: Jenrick responds…
“On BBC Radio 4 this morning listeners were told that if you’re concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you’re racist. Wrong. You’re a good parent.
UPDATE II: The BBC is editing the segment:
“Today’s episode of Thought for the Day contained reflections from a faith perspective on fear in society but has been edited to remove some of the language used and we apologise for its inclusion.”
Speaking on Trump’s military action in Venezuela, Kemi Badenoch told the Today Programme:
“Where the legal certainty is not yet clear, morally, I do think it was the right thing to do.”