and the pastors of a Baptist church are among those barred from
entering the U.K. for allegedly stirring-up hatred and fostering
extremism, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said.
Savage, whose real name is Michael Alan Weiner, has
authored books such as “Liberalism is a Mental Disorder” and
was one of 22 foreigners named by Smith as ineligible to visit
Britain. She published a list of those banned between October
2008 and March 2009 for “fostering extremism or hatred.”
Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church, which preaches
against homosexuals, and fellow church spokeswoman Shirley
Phelps-Roper, were also banned for “unacceptable behavior”
that might stir up “inter-community violence” in the U.K.
“Coming to the U.K. is a privilege, and I refuse to extend
that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values
to undermine our way of life,” Smith said in an e-mail today.
“I will not hesitate to name and shame those who foster
extremist views. They are not welcome here.”
Britain has toughened measures to exclude so-called
preachers of hate after the bombing of the London Underground
and bus network in 2005. The rules also target Islamic clerics
and people with links to the al-Qaeda terrorist group.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government now is banning
about five people a month under the current policy, more than
double the previous rate.
Preachers Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal, Yunis Al Astal, Safwat
Hijazi and Amir Siddique were also banned, the U.K. said. Also
on the list were Mike Guzovsky, the leader of a violent group,
and the creator of a white supremacist Web site Stormfront,
Stephen Donald Black.
Web radio broadcaster Eric Gliebe was also denied entry as
was Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, who lead a gang accused of
beating migrants.
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