ICP use "racist and inflammatory hate speech" -ICC

[martan]

I sent the ICCL an email inquring why there was no link to the Immigration Control Platform on their weblinks page, as they had for a number of organisations such as "International Organisation For Migration". I thought perhaps they should provide links to parties with both points of view. This is the reply I received:

Thank you for your query.

We usually include links on our website of organizations which we regularly work with. We have never worked with the Immigration Control Platform in the past and are unlikely to in the future given the scope of our activities. A strategic objective of the ICCL is to promote international human rights which includes: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. Each of these instruments protects against racial discrimination and in different ways protects the rights of migrants.

On occasion we have engaged with the Immigration Control Platform on radio/public fora and have found them using racist and inflammatory hate speech against migrants and ethnic minorities. Also, the ICCL has traditionally campaigned for the rights of discriminated minorities particularly over the last 20 years and we do not share the same values as the Immigration Control Platform. Of course the Immigration Control Platform has a right to express their opinion freely and we believe that this is very important provided they do not incite hatred. However, there is no obligation on us to promote their viewpoints.

Yours sincerely,
Tanya Ward
Senior Research and Policy Officer
ICCL

What do you reckon? Is that fair? Can anyone cite examples of ICP usage of racist hate-speech? Have they been prosecuted for this?

The ICCL is an NGO, is it in receipt of public funds? Is the IOM? Is the ICP?

[Prophet&seer]

Hate speech ? Anything the pc left disagree with.

[FutureTaoiseach]

We are all racist until proven innocent as far as the PC brigade are concerned.

[damianob]

*sighs*

The ICP holds opposing views to the ICCL on the issue of immigration. Why on earth would the ICCL include a link to the ICP on their website? Would you expect Sinn Fein to have a link to the Fine Gael website?

The ICCL is an NGO, is it in receipt of public funds? Is the IOM? Is the ICP?

Yes the ICCL is an NGO. And no, to the best of my knowledge it is not in receipt of public (by which I presume you mean state) funds. I have no idea if IOM receives public funds and I doubt if ICP does.

But so what if ICCL did receive public funds? Does receiving public funds mean that you have to provide links to organisations that you disagree with?

Why the obsession with public funding? Lots of groups receive public funds. Some I support, some I dislike, some I have no time for.

A vibrant civil society is good for democracy and good for society. If NGOs can make and win a case for public funding, great. I've no problem with that. Even if it means groups I dislike intently receiving state funding.

What I do have a major problem with is the idea that NGOs who do receive state funds should be restricted in the stances they can take or the positions they adopt. That notion is a serious threat to free speech and democracy.

[FutureTaoiseach]

NGO's should not use grants to fund referendum or election campaigns. The IRC should not get any more grants if they are going to continue the kind of carry on we saw in the Citizenship referendum when they were blatently partisan for the No side.

[magic_norhan]

NGO's should not use grants to fund referendum or election campaigns. The IRC should not get any more grants if they are going to continue the kind of carry on we saw in the Citizenship referendum when they were blatently partisan for the No side.

What is the IRC?

What is wrong with siding with the no side of a referendum? - this is a democracy

[commentator]

The commentatiat broadly disagree witht he ICP so won't link to them whether publicly funded or not.

That said I would join Martan in asking for examples of "hate speech" or "racism" from the ICP.

[Worldbystorm]

Actually I think Martan has something of a point. Surely the ICCL should, if only from a freedom of speech civil liberties viewpoint, be willing to accommodate the ICP.

However, FT you don't have a point I'm afraid. The ICCL has every right to campaign using some degree of public funding, and until the law is rewritten that's going to continue.

I'm also puzzled as to why the ICCL sees the rights of migrants in some respect infringed by immigration control unless the ICCL argues for unrestricted immigration.

It would also be interesting to see whether the ICP has in fact made any utterances that could be construed as racist.

Incidentally I don't like the ICP or it's tone.

[damianob]

NGO's should not use grants to fund referendum or election campaigns. The IRC should not get any more grants if they are going to continue the kind of carry on we saw in the Citizenship referendum when they were blatently partisan for the No side.

Where NGOs receive state funding it is invariably designated funding - it is for a specific project or service, or as a contribution towards general operating costs.

I don't know if the Irish Refugee Council receive state funding, but if they do, I very much doubt if any of those funds were used for campaigning during the Citizenship Referedum.

Spending money on/during referenda is already legislated for under the Electoral Act, and there are stringent criteria on how much money can be raised and spent.

And what do you mean "the kind of carry on ... blatantly partisan"???
Of course the IRC was going to oppose the citizenship referendum - it's role is to protect the rights of Refugees - rights which were being undermined by the referendum. It would have been outrageous if it did anything BUT opppose the referendum.

[damianob]

NGO's should not use grants to fund referendum or election campaigns.

NGOs legally can't use state grants to fund referenda or election campaigns.