What’s Next?

Yesterday, we had the ridiculous notion that children should be required to say a pledge of allegiance to Queen and Country, people have caught on elsewhere that this is a sign of a horribly insecure government who’s answer to “Why does nobody feel proud to be British?” is “Beats me, but let’s write a law that makes them say they are anyway. Legislating has fixed all our problems so far, right guys?”

Between this, the flag flying outside every building and ‘Britishnessness Day’, a resurgence of National Pride can only be right around the corner.

Today I learn that the Home Office is planning to deport a gay Iranian seeking asylum back to Iran. Yes, that Iran, the one where homosexuals don’t exist (at least not for very long). Mehdi Kazemi knows the dangers all too well, his boyfriend was recently executed by the government for admitting to their relationship. What do the Home Office have to say on the subject?

In a written statement, Britain’s Home Office said that even though homosexuality is illegal in Iran and homosexuals do experience discrimination, it does not believe that homosexuals are routinely persecuted purely on the basis of their sexuality.

The sheer contempt they seem to have for our intelligence is astounding. Let’s not forget that a high ranking Iranian official told MPs only last year that gays deserve to be tortured and executed. The word ‘believe’ here is probably important, it suggests the thinking is ‘Despite all the evidence to the contrary, it would make our jobs a lot easier if that were true, so we’re going to pretend really really hard that it is’.

What would make me proud to be British? Making it through a whole week without being disgusted by my government would be a step in the right direction.