A British far-right leader is in Syria with the government, his party has confirmed. Nick Griffin, leader of the controversial British National Party, traveled to Damascus from Lebanon on Tuesday on what he described on his Twitter feed as a “fact-finding mission”.
A spokesperson for Griffin, who once said Islam was a "wicked, vicious faith," and accused Muslims of trying to conquer Britain, said he was researching Islamic fundamentalists fighting the Syrian government.
On his Twitter feed Griffin said he was in the capital Damascus and that, despite “occasional explosions,” the country was calm.
He accused the British government, which has thrown its weight behind rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, of provoking sectarianism.
Occasional explosions in distance but life in capital normal. Traffic busy, shops full of goods. Families out in sun. Why turn stable …
— Nick Griffin MEP (@nickgriffinmep) June 11, 2013
…secular state into Iraq-style hell of secrarian hate?More madness from the people who dragged us to costly war in Iraq & Afghan.
— Nick Griffin MEP (@nickgriffinmep) June 11, 2013
The BNP spokesman confirmed he was traveling with the Syrian government and said he would be visiting other parts of Syria in the coming days.
He said Griffin’s trip was aimed at uncovering the true nature of the Syrian opposition and accused Foreign Secretary William Hague of pushing British people into war.
“Most ordinary working class [British] people don’t want anything to do with conflict in Syria or Iraq or anything. [Foreign secretary William] Hague really is a war-mongerer,” the spokesman said.
He added that Griffin would be researching potential links between jihadist elements amongst the Syrian rebels and the killing of Lee Rigby, a British soldier who was murdered in London last month.