Ho, ho, ho… ‘Tis the season to be jolly, so let’s start with something funny: Saint George, the chap commemorated today from so many lampposts in the shape of rather bedraggled once-white flags emblazoned with a bright red cross, was not actually English. It is highly unlikely that he ever even visited England.
That is more rib-tickling than most of the attempts at humour which will elicit groans around the country as crackers are pulled on Christmas Day, and it also happens to be true. The brave hero beloved of English patriots, and now appropriated by the right wing nationalists, was a Roman soldier born in what is now Turkey, a genuine European. Neither does it seem likely he ever slayed a dragon but that might be harder to prove.
Far from being the armour-clad knight beloved of English romantics, St George was a Christian martyr who is also the patron saint of such diverse spots as Venice, Catalonia and Ethiopia. That thought may cheer some readers as they pass the sad displays of red crosses.
Perhaps word has reached Tommy Robinson that Saint George was not quite the man he might have liked him to be, because now Robinson is trying to recruit another figurehead for his attempts to mobilise some of the nastier elements in society. Yes, the anti-immigration rabble-rouser who might once have simply been seen as the worst kind of football hooligan, has turned to Christ himself.
It is far from unusual for those in adversity to discover a new religious fervour. Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, is one of the latest. His recently published diary – why keep a private revelation just to oneself? – reveals that, on his first night in prison, he spontaneously fell onto his knees in prayer, the first time in many years, and discovered a new ‘grace’ that he hopes will remain with him. He served only weeks of the five-year term he had been allotted for allegedly conspiring to acquire funds from the tyrant Muammar Gaddafi but could be returned, so God may be called upon for further support.
Russell Brand, the largely unfunny comedian who somehow became a media personality, did not wait to get into jail before turning to Christ. Having dealt with numerous allegations of improper behaviour, he chose to be baptised a Christian in April last year and has not kept his new religious fervour to himself. Christ will, no doubt, have to work hard come June next year when he is due to return to the Old Bailey on sexual assault charges.
Robinson has already been imprisoned on several occasions but his motives for calling on religion look less like a personal awakening and more a cynical marketing ploy. Exhorting his followers to “Put the Christ back into Christmas”, the message of his recent gathering in London, is hardly an original thought. The demand has become a familiar cry as any religious aspect of the festivities has been buried under mountains of receipts for unnecessary gifts, tacky decorations and vast quantities of food and drink.
Robinson’s call lacks something of the spiritual tone that is normally behind the plaintive request for a different approach to Christmas. When his supporters have joined his various rallies in the past, the end result has almost always been violence. A dress code which generally seems to encourage black balaclavas tends to signal that trouble is not unexpected and large numbers of police are required.
Suggested Reading
We’re paving the road to power for Tommy Robinson
But for his new incarnation, a different approach would seem appropriate and so Robinson proposed to launch it with a gathering in Whitehall that would include bible readings, carols, worship and “honour the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ”. Just in case any sceptics doubted his sincerity, the advance publicity included the assurance that: “This event is not about politics, immigration or other groups. It is about Jesus Christ, fully and completely.”
“Oh no, it’s not!” the pantomime chorus might shout. And they would be absolutely right. Robinson’s gang – he is now far too canny to put his name directly to anything – could not restrain themselves and, in an e-mail to drum up attendance at the December 13 event, admit: ‘“This is a rallying cry for our core principles – a shining light in the midst of turmoil caused by unchecked immigration and the fading of our cultural identity.”
On the day, Robinson cut an incongruous figure, fronting a traditional nativity scene. Fewer than a thousand people turned up to join him. Maybe the thousands more who usually join his rallies don’t like carols, or maybe they had been dragooned into Christmas shopping. Or maybe they suspected that the usual entertainment- a bit of a punch-up – might not be on offer this time.
Religion has been called on in support of all manner of weird, wonderful and sometimes appalling ideas and the Old Testament of the Bible certainly contains some pretty brutal philosophising. Jesus Christ, however, appears to have been a man who was not particularly opposed to immigration, nor obsessed with the concept of cultural identity. Perhaps, having been born in a cowshed influenced his thinking, and a relatively early death cut short any plans he might have had for moving abroad.
Nevertheless, Christ’s support has been summoned by charlatans for many centuries, so it should be no surprise that the man once known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, but who changed his name in honour of a prominent Luton Town football hooligan, is following that route. Robinson, a former member of the fascist British National Party and co-founder of the English Defence League, has not previously been known for any religious views other than a visceral hatred of Islam. He has not changed.
The philosopher, Bertrand Russell, opined that: “Cruel men believe in a cruel god and use their belief to excuse their cruelty”. He was usually right. Happy Christmas!
Most popular
Schopenhauer’s one redeeming feature
Reform’s Kent crack-up is getting even worse
Dubai: a safe space for hypocrisy
Why Radiohead’s rage will never age
