We wish to express our profound shock and condemnation of the actions of President Donald Trump in retweeting video messages produced by the extremist far right group, Britain First (Report, 29 November).
The videos are gratuitously offensive to all sections of our communities. They have been produced with the clear intention of sowing hatred and division. Had President Trump tweeted this material in error, he has had ample opportunity to retract it and to apologise. Instead, he has reacted to measured criticism of his actions by the prime minister, Theresa May, and the British government, by attacking them and deepening the offence caused. The president’s actions are also extraordinary and unfathomable, not least because the United States and the United Kingdom have had such long, strong and deeply cordial ties. His actions have been described as unorthodox in some quarters. Most right-thinking people think they are plain offensive.
We appreciate that the vast majority of Americans do not share the views and attitudes of a president who is rapidly becoming a global pariah.
Unless he apologises unreservedly for promoting a video posted by a racist which has been shown to be false by the Dutch government, in our considered opinion, the invitation extended to Donald Trump by the prime minister for a state visit to the UK should be withdrawn.
Cllr Ohid Ahmed
Ken Livingstone
Lord Nazir Ahmed
Revd John Hayes Tower Hamlets Methodist minister
Leon Silver President, East London Central Synagogue
Nozmul Hussain CEO, East London Mosque
Sef Townsend Ba’al Tefillah Beith Klan Yisrael Founder, Community of Jews and Muslims
Ian Richard Watkins Salvation Army, Stepney
Hafiz M Saeed Hashmi Head Imam, Shah Jahan Mosque
Nana Asante Africans for Jeremy Corbyn
Amanda Sebestyen Feminist Forum
Simon Woolley Director, Operation Black Vote
Cllr Oliur Rahman Leader, Tower Hamlets Independent group
Christine Shawcroft Labour Party NEC
John Rees Stop the War Coalition
Suresh Grover Director, The Monitoring Group
Lindsey German Stop the War Coalition
Cllr Mahbub Alam Deputy leader, Tower Hamlets Independent group
Paul Hanes Chair, East London People’s Assembly
Lee Jasper Blaksox
Shahagir Bakth Faruk British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce
Cllr Maium Miah
Ruth Appleton Holborn and St Pancras CLP
Eafor Ali President, British Bangladesh Caterers Association
Abdur Rahman Madani Minister of Religion, London
Muhammad Abdul Quadir President, Khilafat Mojlish, UK
S Kawsar Da’watul Islam UK & Eire
B Uddin Darul Ummah Mosque, London
Marlene Fernandes Vice-chair, PCS union
Jim Fagan Unison
Sylvia Finzi
Professor Dr. Hasanat M. Husain Convenor, Voice for Justice
Dr Glyn Robbins United East End
Jill Baker Principal, George Green’s School
Nazir Ahmed
Hafiz Moulana Shamsul Hoque Chair, Council of Mosques, Tower Hamlets
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi
Ann Goodburn
• While having every sympathy for Brendan Cox as a widower, it is necessary to take issue with his article attacking Donald Trump (Trump is promoting hatred, says husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, theguardian.com, 30 November). That is not because Trump should not be denounced for his monstrous, racist scapegoating and demonisation. But what is this notion of “British” decency and tolerance being purveyed except the same nationalist particularism that feeds all the most backward prejudices in the first place? Declaring other people to be less tolerant and decent (by implication at least) is feeding intolerance.
Adrian Greeman
London
• Ian Cobain suggests we shouldn’t worry too much about Britain First, given its “minute membership” of about 800 people (Behind the incoherent policies, there’s not a lot to see, 1 December). That sounds like a disturbingly large number to me.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I lived in northern Italy, where terrorism was rife, particularly the leftwing variety. At one point, it was estimated that the Red Brigades had about 200 fully active members. They almost succeeded in bringing the state to its knees.
Perhaps there is a danger of underestimating the fragility of liberal democracy? A few hundred fanatical, violent individuals can cause enormous damage.
Ian Lebeau
London
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