Why is Tommy Robinson banned from America?
What does Tommy Robinson, reformed soccer hooligan and English nationalist, have in common with Daniel Pipes, unreformed policy wonk and president of the pro-Israel Middle East Forum? Islam, that’s what. Not that Robinson and Pipes are joining the Sons of the Prophet. Rather, they’re joining forces against Islamist influence in their societies, and against two related, and perhaps more serious problems: the stifling of debate about Islamism and immigration, and how unaccountable social media companies censor the opinions they dislike, even if those opinions have broken no law. On Wednesday, Pipes and the MEF hosted British speakers for a panel in Washington, DC on ‘de-platforming’. The location was kept secret, for security reasons.
