Open letter to E Miliband

Excellent! Would love to read the response.

Read it and looked up some references. I think I probably left the Labour Party at the same time she joined. What I do not understand is why she has sent the letter now, and published it now, apart from to cause mischief.
The Ken Livingstone stuff she talks about happened in 2004, just after she joined. The problem about people being imprisoned for tweeting is happening now under this government.
Sharia courts have been held in this country for over thirty years. That does not mean I think they are right, but it's the timing of the letter, as I said before.
In fact if the government abolishes Human Rights in this country, there will be more Sharia courts.

Multiculturalism has indeed lost its way. Starting as a means of making sure that people were not stigmatised, it has moved on to leave us all powerless and afraid to challenge those aspects of cultures (now within our nation) that are wholly unacceptable to the majority of decent people.

We need to get away from the idea that expressing these concerns makes us racists or about to join a far right party.

She says much of what I have been thinking for a long time. Fear of being labelled racist has prevented many agencies from investigating the forced marriage of many young Asian girls, who are sent back to their relatives for a 'holiday'.

I would like to read a response to these questions from all the party leaders.

But I do not see what it has to do with leaving the Labour Party, do you?

Whilst I agree with much that is in the letter I am also uneasy about it.

The graphic descriptions I thought were an attempt to emotionally manipulate the reader. We have already discussed the issue of female genital mutilation (as we call it) and know that the issue is not a straightforward one easily dealt with in five minutes.

I strongly believe that if people from other cultures chose to live here they should have to abide by our laws and also conform to some extent to our cultural norms, but I don't think this will be achieved by the over-use of blunt instruments.

I wonder if AMW has another axe to grind besides the one she talks about.

petallus, your expression "as we call it" of female genital mutilation bothers me. Could you explain, please, why you use that expression of a three word phrase that is descriptive without going into the horrible details that AMW goes into in the letter?

I ask because your expression looks like cultural relativism to me and I'm shocked to think that you think interfering with a girls genitals for any but medical reasons could ever be justified in terms of real human rights.

I agree with you Petallus, I think there is another axe to grind. That's why I queried the timing and content of the letter.
Do you think there will be a response, Soop?

Here is somebody's take on the resignation. (no, I haven't a clue who the writer is; came across a link to his blog on Twitter and thought it worth reading).

He seems to be saying more about Labour than about AMW, and in doing so seems to me to be corroborating her concerns as the reason why she has left.

The blog I linked to does mention that AMW is a secularist. I wouldn't call that an axe to grind as it works in favour of equal rights not against them. That also seems to confirm, for me, her stated reason for leaving the Labour Party since she thinks the LP is not working in favour of equal rights, or at least not enough.

She forgets to say in her letter of resignation that last year she tried to get adopted as the candidate in Northampton and was rejected, and this year the same has happened in Brighton. Axe to grind?
Hope we do not see her springing up as a candidate for the Tory party as she also runs the local KONP in London.

The second link I gave does point out the fact about her PPC attempt, jend.

Sour grapes about something like that is not the same thing as having an axe to grind. At least, I don't think it is.

KONP?

Looked it up: Keep Our NHS Public.

Maybe she'll join the National Health Action Party.

Do I want that? I am a member of both.
When she becomes disillusioned will she not just write nasty articles about them both?

She's got a book out soon? Good enough reason to get in the news?

Hello thatbags. I said 'as we call it' as an acknowledgement that cultures where this practice is commonplace have a different way of describing (and thinking about).

Of course, like you I think it's a scandalous mutilation.

it.

Thatbags, she obviously thought it a reason to leave and advertise her leaving in a very public way. Sour grapes or axes to grind often have the same results.

I occasionally have problems with ALP (Australian Labour Party) policies, but feel it is better to fight them as a member, than as an outsider. For instance, our former PM Julia Gillard is against gay marriage, as is my local federal MP. I have told him I disagree with his stance: he took it in good spirit, but was of the belief I was in a minority in our federal seat, which has a lot of country folk in it.

No matter - I had my say, which means more as a party member.

Also, as a member I get more information about Labour and union matters, and have various ways of putting my own fillings in. And this week I voted for party leader, something new: we never had free plebiscites for the leadership before.

Better in than out imho

PS
I agree with her on multiculturalism. I was all for it as a means of preventing discrimination, but not when it is used to hurt women, promote religiosity, and enable the worst aspects of islamism

Have you worked out what the axe is yet, jend? Please tell when you have.