'No justification' for Farrakhan ban

Mr Farrakhan has been banned from the UK since 1986

A High Court judge has given his reasons for lifting the long-standing ban on a controversial black American political leader visiting the UK.

In July, Mr Justice Turner ruled that last November's decision by the then Home Secretary Jack Straw to ban Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan must be quashed.

Mr Farrakhan has been excluded from Britain since 1986 on the grounds he might incite racial hatred and anti-Semitism.

On Monday Mr Justice Turner reiterated his order to the British Government to reconsider its exclusion order on Mr Farrakhan.

I continue to think that Mr Farrakhan, were he to come here, would be a threat to public order

David Blunkett
Home Secretary

He said there had been a failure to establish "objective justification" for keeping him out of the UK at the time the decision was taken.

"There is a complete absence of evidence before the court of racial, religious or ethnic tension between the Black Muslim and Jewish communities in the United Kingdom existing at the date of the decision letter," said Mr Justice Turner.

But he stressed that in quashing last November's exclusion order he was not ruling that Mr Farrakhan must now be admitted to the UK.

He added that a stay on his ruling should remain in place until the government had formally indicated whether it intended to appeal.

Appeal

Nation of Islam spokesman Hilary Muhammad thanked the judge for his decision.

"We also appreciate that the judge recognised the nature of the Honourable Minister Louis Farrakhan's message of atonement, reconciliation and responsibility and the content that he would explore whilst being in the UK," Mr Muhammad said.

Nation of Islam representatives were at court for the ruling

He added that he hoped the British government would respect the decision and allow people to hear Mr Farrakhan's message for themselves.

But Home Secretary David Blunkett said he was "astonished" by the ruling and confirmed the government would seek leave to appeal.

He said: "I continue to think that Mr Farrakhan, were he to come here, would be a threat to public order."

The decision to appeal was welcomed by a leading Jewish organisation.

Fiona Macaulay of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: "We believe in no platform for racists and Holocaust deniers.

"At no point has Louis Farrakhan ever apologised for or retracted any of the clearly anti-Semitic statements that he's made."