Immigrants to the UK shouldn't have to hear Enoch Powell’s words again

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Powell preaches in the pulpit of the church of St Mary Le Bow, London, in 1977 (Getty images)

During my childhood, when the BNP were still a political force, I remember my mum telling me not to worry. She told me that, when she was younger, it was Enoch Powell that all the minorities were afraid of.

Having been invited by the British state to rebuild the country after the Second World War, many first and second generation immigrant families feared being deported in the decades that followed – including my own.

However, my mum said that history ended up finishing off with Powell and that the same fate would befall the BNP. Time proved her right.

The point is, Powell has a toxic and fearsome legacy amongst immigrants who arrived in Britain after 1945; it has continued to this day in the communities he wanted to see repatriated. There is simply no getting over that.

So, I find it insensitive and reckless that the BBC has saw fit to broadcast Powell’s hate-filled Rivers of Blood speech, particularly at a time when we are seeing a resurgence of the far-right. The anger is well-justified and the BBC ought to withdraw the broadcast.

Communities like mine should not have to hear the terrorising echoes of his words again.

Umaar Kazmi​
Nottingham

West knows best

Am I alone I believing that the international community is conflating two separate issues over the current situation in Syria: use of chemical weapons; and the desperate plight of the people of Syria.

The use of chemical weapons by any state is unacceptable. But military actions are not appropriate. They do not work. We need an international protocol which mandates a standard response to the use of these vile weapons. In today’s world that means economic and trade sanctions. The user would become a pariah state.

For Syria the question is, what do the people there want? It is totally wrong for us to foist a solution on them. If we can identify what the people of Syria want, we can plan how to help them. But do we know? How can we know? The current situation smacks of a West Knows Best mentality.

Bernard Cudd​
Morpeth

I strongly urge people to oppose any calls to support further military intervention in the already-terrible war in Syria. Britain has been openly involved militarily in Syria since 2015. More bombing or other action can only prolong the cycle of violence and therefore increase the suffering of the Syrian people.

It also risks a potentially catastrophic confrontation with Russian forces. The only rational political response is to oppose military intervention from all sides and do everything possible to promote a political solution.

I strongly condemn the bombing attacks on the people of Douma in Syria, including alleged chemical attacks. Yet again, the main victims of this war are the ordinary people of Syria, who have now suffered seven years of war which has left many dead, and many more refugees.

The attack must not be used to justify more military intervention. I condemn all outside military intervention including that of Russia and Iran. But equally condemn that of our own government and its allies. Already Donald Trump has promised retaliation and there has been a missile attack on a Syrian airfield, by an undisclosed country. France and Britain are likely to support further such action.

It is sometimes claimed that the bombing by Assad is the result of the West’s failure to intervene. Nothing could be further from the truth. The West has been intervening directly and through its proxies throughout this war. Britain voted against bombing Syria in 2013, but voted to do so in 2015 and continues its military intervention. Nato member Turkey is intervening in Syria and has launched a massive military attack on the Kurds in Afrin. Oddly enough attacks on the Kurds were the justification used by our country for the first Iraq war.

The Middle East has become the site of endless conflict following the war on Afghanistan (allegedly to find Bin Laden who funnily enough was in his house in Pakistan) and of course the second invasion of Iraq in 2003 – an invasion I opposed and about which was proved right. It is known now that war was built on lies. I strongly doubt a war with Syria would be any different.

In recent months there has been Western bombing in Iraq and Syria, not to mention the Western-backed Saudi war in Yemen. Yes, the West backs one of the worst human rights violators. It is surely the height of hypocrisy for those supporting such wars to now claim their military can help those under threat in the Syrian war.

This escalation of war is highly dangerous. The only solution in Syria is a ceasefire on all sides and a political settlement – military intervention has already been proved to have failed.

David Holdsworth
Christian CND

Plastic cups

Please please please can someone explain to me why Waitrose can get rid of all their so called recyclable cups by this autumn, yes autumn 2018, while chains like Starbucks and Costa have been procrastinating for 10 years? Madness!

Suzie Taylor
Pitchcombe