We Don’t Need a Farage or a Badenoch, We Need an Atatürk

Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch seem to be involved in a game of anti-immigration Top Trumps. Farage, once the scourge of illegal migrants, quite recently praised the contribution of migrants to the United Kingdom – having considered it expedient to do so. Badenoch meanwhile – whose migrant credentials are impeccable – has done the same. But that was in the past.

Farage has reconsidered his stance, no doubt as a result of the Epping protests where our judiciary have prioritised the rights of criminals (people who have broken our laws by arriving uninvited) over people who are legitimate United Kingdom citizens. Farage has announced plans for the mass deportation of illegal migrants, but fell short of including women and children.

In response to Farage’s fantasy, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says that she would deport illegal migrants: men, women and children. What’s more, she suggests that illegal migrants should be housed in camps rather than luxury hotels. All very strange, given she was remarkably silent as the Tory government opened the floodgates to migrants both legal and illegal, was largely responsible for the present mess, and delivered absolutely nothing on the illegal migrant front except hot air. Not a single illegal migrant was deported under their Rwanda scheme…not one.

How can Sir Keir Starmer, who has finally woken up to the possibility of being given the electoral boot over migration, possibly hope to compete? Perhaps he will have to suggest machine-gunning the dinghies full of migrants as they approach the southeast coast, to have any hope of topping the trumps of Farage and Badenoch. I’ll bet, amongst the communities that have been overrun by the priapic hordes of Mohammedans running up the beaches, this would be a vote winner. But I must point out, here at TNC, where we live and breathe the rules of the European Court of Human Rights, we would never advocate such action.

The problem with Farage and Badenoch, despite the fine words, is they have seen only part of the problem, and have suggested a solution that addresses that part alone. The problem they see is too many migrants; the solution, to get rid of some. Anyone with half a brain must understand that neither of them would nor could deliver on their promises. The part of the problem that they see is one which has no solution.

We could load a million – and it is probably over a million – illegal migrants into boats and planes and deliver them to France, Rwanda or Afghanistan and they would simply return. They have done it at least once, and there is nothing to stop them doing it again. The real problem is that the United Kingdom is just too attractive a place to come. We are too accommodating to illegal migrants. We give too much support to them, and we are far too tolerant of the alien religion to which most of them adhere – Islam.

And this is where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk comes in. Atatürk – the father of modern Turkey – was a flawed man. Part brutal dictator, serial womaniser and a chronic alcoholic, but also a fearless warrior and honourable soldier. He took Turkey from the dark ages of the Islamic Ottoman Empire into the modern age. Raised a Muslim but probably an atheist, he saw that what was holding Turkey back from economic success was the adherence to Islamic ways.

While accused of trying to destroy Islam, he did not ban the religion or close mosques. But he did make it harder for Islam to control society, by prising its hands from the levers of power. He abolished Arabic writing from official documents, creating the modern Turkish language in the process. He banned the outward expression of Islam – the hijab – in educational and government institutions. Where alcohol had been restricted – although not banned – under the Ottomans, Atatürk lifted any restrictions. He also completely banned the wearing of the fez, another outward symbol of the Ottomans.

These were small steps, you may think, but it changed the culture of the country. The message was clear: you may practice your religion, but it will not dominate our society and you will not identify yourself as belonging to another group by means of your mode of dress in institutions which are controlled by the government. If you are a man, you will no longer identify with the old ways.

Imagine if the United Kingdom took the simple step of legally banning the hijab if you are employed by the government (that would include the NHS where wearing a cross is considered problematic), or attending one of our universities. I have covered before in these pages the ignominy of being greeted and shouted at when entering the UK – legally – by people who are clearly immigrants to this country. Most of the women at Heathrow and many at Manchester Airport working at Border ‘Force’ wear hijabs. On my last exit from the country via the BA First-Class check-in and security at Heathrow, both women at the two scanners were wearing hijabs; one was in a full burqa.

Along with the hijab in public employment, imagine if we banned the wearing of the burqa and the niqab completely. Once barely seen on our streets, these oppressive forms of dress are now everywhere in major cities. I think that Mohammed, Muhamed, Mohamad and Mahmoud would be less willing to take their wives and daughters here if we were to say that, out on the street, they may dress as modestly as they want but they will not hide their identity.

It doesn’t take much to change the culture of a country. Witness how ours has changed, for the worse, by dint of our obsession with compassion (for the wrong people), equality and diversity. We don’t have to hate Muslims, close mosques or burn down migrant hotels. We simply need to make this a country which sends a clear message: you are not welcome here if you do not respect our ways, integrate and appear to have integrated. Let’s start with that and see if it does anything to stem the flow of illegal migrants. If that doesn’t work, then we need to ‘set phasers to stun’ and up the ante. Suggestions (legal ones) please.

Roger Watson is a retired academic, editor and writer. He is a columnist with Unity News Network and writes regularly for a range of conservative journals including The Salisbury Review and The European Conservative. He has travelled and worked extensively in the Far East and the Middle East. He lives in Kingston upon Hull, UK.

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