Secretly filmed tirades against Muslims and Asians by the leader of the British National party, Nick Griffin, were described to a jury yesterday, including claims that rape and paedophilia against non-believers were countenanced by the Qur’an.
At private party meetings, the Cambridge graduate who has immersed himself in far-right politics for nearly 30 years described parts of Britain as “multiracial hellholes” targeted by a supposed Asian Muslim plan for global conquest.
Films of his speeches in small West Yorkshire towns two years ago were broadcast by a BBC TV undercover team last summer, leading to police action against half-a-dozen BNP activists. Mr Griffin, 45, and former Leeds council candidate Mark Collett, 24, deny 12 charges of using words or behaviour intended or likely to stir up racial hatred.
Opening a two-week trial at Leeds crown court, Rodney Jameson QC, prosecuting, said Mr Griffin had focused on paedophile drug rape in a recruiting speech in Keighley in January 2004. The town had just seen a gang of British Asian youths jailed for violence, drug dealing and sexual assault on under-age girls.
Unaware that one of his new recruits at the Reservoir Tavern was undercover BBC reporter Jason Gwynne, the court heard that Mr Griffin told his audience: “These attacks are going to continue, because that is what the Qur’an says. The bastards that are in that gang, they are in prison so the public think it’s all over. Well it’s not. Because there’s more of them.
“Their ‘good book’ tells them that that’s acceptable. If you doubt it, go and buy a copy and you will find verse after verse saying you can take any woman you want as long as they’re not Muslim. These 18, 19 and 25-year-old Asian Muslims are seducing and raping white girls in this town right now.”