We, the British Democrats, are writing this letter to express our concerns about the recent decisions made by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. It seems that he is commissioning yet another example of his virtue-signalling condemnation of our once proud nation’s history: a monument reflecting the slave trade, which is of particularly unappealing design.
If this offensive monument cannot be prevented, it should at least be accompanied by historically relevant and complementary memorials. For example, a monument to the abolitionists of the slave trade, such as William Wilberforce, and the British, White Christians (often Quaker), known for being one of the first, and for a long time the only, individuals to advocate for the abolition of slavery on humanitarian grounds.
Slavery has been practised for thousands of years, dating back to ancient civilisations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, and the classical civilisations of antiquity. It also continued through the medieval and modern Muslim world, where it remains in some instances, as the Prophet and the Caliphs did not condemn the practice.
Sadiq Khan should commission a monument to the Royal Navy, especially the West Africa Squadron, which expended British blood and resources to combat those profiting from the trade, including Europeans, Americans, Arabs, and Africans. This is a part of our history that deserves recognition and honour.
There should be a monument honouring the British victims of slavery, specifically those who were kidnapped and sold as ‘White Gold’ by the Barbary Corsairs, pirates operating from the Maghreb region. This enslavement continued until the Royal and Merchant Navies fought back to secure freedom on the seas, ushering in the era known as Pax Britannica. The British patriotic song ‘Rule Britannia’ reflects on a time when the threat of enslavement had only recently been lifted and remained a vivid memory in the collective consciousness. The sentiment echoed in the phrase ‘Britons never, never, never shall be slaves’ (again).
Failure to approve such a monument would raise questions about the fairness of Mr. Khan’s approach: one for Blacks and Muslims, another for Whites—surely not! We must ensure that our memorials reflect a balanced and comprehensive view of history.
Another attempt at virtue signalling could be commissioned: a suitably repulsive memorial of shame that condemns the African kings and chiefs, from Senegal to the Congo (particularly the rulers of Dahomey), as well as their fellow despots on the East African coast. These leaders enslaved their own people and their neighbours, conducting raids far and wide to satisfy the demand for slaves.
In 1807, Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which officially ended Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. This Act empowered the Royal Navy to seize any ships suspected of participating in the slave trade. However, the law did not altogether abolish slavery in the British colonies. As a result of campaigns by abolitionists, Parliament enacted the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the historic West African kingdom of Benin was home to one of the largest slave ports in Africa, exporting one million Africans to European merchants. Benin resisted the abolition of slavery for a long time, necessitating a special expeditionary force from the British.
As the 1897 expedition neared Benin City, it was met by some horrific sights. There were human sacrifices of enslaved people everywhere; some were hanging from trees. Female slaves with their stomachs ripped open were pegged to the ground and left to die. Male slaves with their hands tied at the back and feet lashed together were lying about. A surgeon with the expedition wrote, “As we neared the city, sacrificed human beings were lying in the path and bush—and even in the king’s compound. The sight and stench of them were awful. Dead and mutilated bodies were everywhere. By God! May I never see such sights again!”
For many Africans, the British were viewed as ‘White Saviours.’
Could Mr. Khan name a single African leader who voluntarily stopped participating in the slave trade on humanitarian grounds?
Dr Jim Lewthwaite,
Chairman, British Democrats
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Excellent article by the Party Chairman. All race propaganda is intended to make whites feel guilty, in order to condition them to have a submission mentality. This form of mental abuse has been going on for decades and is why they always need to distort the facts with half truths and blatant fabrications.
I would not lower myself buying a stamp and sending a Letter to London’s woeful Mayor or this terrible Government hell freezes over before I apologize for My English and British Heritage if Foreigners hate this Country can leave
We need to stop apologising for slavery – us native British have everything to be proud of in pursuing the abolition. It was African nations themselves who were loathe to cease this trade in their own people, and to this day those same nations are still centres of modern slavery.