LONDON: Two US political bloggers who founded an anti-Muslim group have been banned from entering Britain following reports they were to attend a march by the far-right English Defense League (EDL), the government said yesterday.
Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, who set up Stop Islamization of America and operate the website Jihad Watch, have been forbidden from entering Britain on the grounds their presence would “not be conducive to the public good.”
The EDL is planning a march on Saturday, ending in the Woolwich district of London, where a British soldier was brutally murdered last month. Geller and Spencer had been expected to attend.
Two Muslim converts have been arrested and are the chief suspects in the murder.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer are subject to an exclusion decision.
“The Home Secretary will seek to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.
“We condemn all those whose behaviors and views run counter to our shared values and will not stand for extremism in any form.”
Anti-racism groups had campaigned for the Americans’ exclusion.
Matthew Collins, researcher with the Hope Not Hate group, said the organization was “absolutely delighted” with the move.
He described Geller and Spencer as “among some of the most extreme anti-Muslim activists in the world.”
“They’ve nothing to contribute to life in this country. They’re not here to contribute to good community relations. They only wanted to come here and help the EDL stir up more trouble.”