Difference between revisions of "Martin Bright"

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(New page: '''Martin Bright''' is the political editor of the New Statesman and an advocate of the Euston Manifesto. He is the home affairs editor of the Observer Newspaper<ref>Martin Bright, [h...)
 
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'''Martin Bright''' is the political editor of the New Statesman and an advocate of the [[Euston Manifesto]]. He is the home affairs editor of the Observer Newspaper<ref>Martin Bright, [http://www.newstatesman.com/writers/martin_bright Profile], ''The New Statesman'', Accessed 14-March-2009</ref>
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'''Martin Bright''' is the political editor of the Jewish Chronicle.<ref>Ian Burrell, [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/a-gentile-voice-thats-set-to-trigger-some-heated-debate-1786781.html A gentile voice that's set to trigger some heated debate], The Independent, 14 September 2009.</ref> He also blogs at [[The Spectator]].<ref>Martin Bright, [http://www.spectator.co.uk/martinbright/3331041/the-opening-salvo.thtml The Opening Salvo], The Bright Stuff, spectator.co.uk, 6 February 2009.</ref> Bright is a former political editor of the [[New Statesman]].<ref>Stephen Brook and James Robinson, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/23/martin-bright-new-statesman Martin Bright leaves New Statesman], guardian.co.uk, 233 January 2009.</ref> Bright is married to [[Vanessa Thorpe]], the Observer’s arts correspondent.<ref>Nick Cohen, [http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/2650 Gordon Brown: the Fear and the Filth], ''Standpoint'', 31 January 2010</ref>
  
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==Resources==
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===The great Koran con trick===
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Neocon Europe, [http://www.neoconeurope.eu/index.php/Martin_Bright Martin Bright]
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In 2001 the New Statesman published an article by Bright titled "The great Koran con trick" which cited, among others, the work of [[Gerald Hawting]], [[Patricia Crone]] and [[Michael Cook]] to question the authenticity of the Quran.<ref>Martin Bright, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200112100017 The great Koran con trick], New Statesman, 10 December 2001.</ref>All three historians took exception to Bright's interpretation of their work.<ref>Dismissal of the Koran is offensive and counter-productive, New Statesman, 17 December 2001.</ref>Bright's former teacher and SOAS professor Gerald Hawting wrote:
  
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==Notes==
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::The spurious air of conspiracy and censorship conjured up in Martin Bright's article is nonsense. All of the named scholars whose 'conclusions' are said to be so 'devastating' for Islam hold or held senior positions in front-rank universities and their books are published by leading university presses and other houses, freely available for anyone who cares to read them.
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::I did not 'warn' (whatever that might mean) the journalist concerned not to publish the article, and the 'decent obscurity' I suggested was for the right-wing and fundamentalist websites by which he is so fascinated. Penguin Books has not 'postponed' the publication of 'a controversial new history of Islam' by me. I was never contracted to them to write such a work. The implication that [[John Wansbrough]] was the founder of SOAS was probably the result of slipshod editing*, but the suggestion that his decision to live in France following retirement reflects a desire to live in 'obscurity' (a faraway country of which we know little!) is mere embroidery.<ref>Dismissal of the Koran is offensive and counter-productive, New Statesman, 17 December 2001.</ref>
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===When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries===
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In August 2005, Bright wrote in [[The Observer]] that "far from being moderate, the Muslim Council of Britain has its origins in the extreme orthodox politics in Pakistan. And as its influence increases through Whitehall, many within the Muslim community are growing concerned that this self-appointed organisation is crowding out other, genuinely moderate, voices of Muslim Britain."<ref>Martin Bright, [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1548786,00.html. Radical links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim group], The Observer, 14 August 2005.</ref>
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It was reportedly as a result of this article that Bright was contacted by a Foreign Office source who provided him with the material for a Channel Four documentary, Who Speaks for Muslims? and a [[Policy Exchange]] pamphlet.<ref>James Silver, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/aug/06/mondaymediasection.politicsandthemedia1 Politically Correct - Interview: Martin Bright], The Guardian, 6 October 2007.</ref>
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Published in July 2006, the pamphlet, ''When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries'', accused the British Government of "pursuing a policy of appeasement towards radical Islam that could have grave consequences for Britain" through the [[Foreign Office]]'s [[Engaging with the Islamic World Group]] and the Government's engagement with the [[Muslim Council of Britain]].<ref>[http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/libimages/176.pdf When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries (pdf)], by [[Martin Bright]], [[Policy Exchange]], 1 July 2006.</ref> It included a series of documents leaked by Bright's source, civil servant [[Derek Pasquill]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7179247.stm 'Brave' official praised for leak], BBC News, 9 January 2008.</ref> According to Bright, he chose a "slightly provocative publisher, because I believe a coalition of the left and right needs to be built around this issue."<ref>James Silver, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/aug/06/mondaymediasection.politicsandthemedia1 Politically Correct - Interview: Martin Bright], The Guardian, 6 October 2007.</ref>
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[[Policy Exchange]] has claimed<ref>[http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/Issues/Terrorism-and-Security.aspx Terrorism and Security], Policy Exchange, accessed 6 March 2008.</ref> that this pamphlet influenced Communities Secretary [[Ruth Kelly]] to change the Government's relations with Muslim organisations.<ref>[http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/speeches/corporate/values-responsibilities Britain: our values, our responsibilities], [[Ruth Kelly]], [[Communities and Local Government]], 11 October 2006.</ref>
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==BICOM==
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In May 2008, Bright traveled "in Israel with a group of four other journalists as a guest of BICOM, a British organisation set up to improve Israel's image in the media."<ref>Martin Bright, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200805150026 The great betrayal], The New Statesman, 15 May 2008.</ref>
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==Affiliations==
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*[[Euston Manifesto]]
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*[[Policy Exchange]]
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*[[Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre]]
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*[[European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism]] - Advisory Board
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==Contact, References and Resources==
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===Contact===
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:Email: martin@newstatesman.co.uk
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:Blog: [http://www.spectator.co.uk/martinbright/ http://www.spectator.co.uk/martinbright/]
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===Resources===
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====Articles by Bright====
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*Martin Bright, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200112100017 The Great Koran Con Trick], ''New Statesman'', 10 Dec 2001.
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*Martin Bright, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jul/21/humanrights.comment Terror, security and the media], observer.co.uk, 21 July 2002.
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=====2006=====
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*Martin Bright, [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/martin_bright/2006/07/post_230.html I am no Islamophobe], ''The Guardian'', 14 July 2006.
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*Martin Bright, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1830923,00.html We must reject the extremists' grip on the Muslim mainstream], The Guardian, 27 July 2006.
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*Martin Bright, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1833395,00.html Right showing left the way on radical Islam], The Observer, 30 July 2006.
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*Martin Bright, [http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/eustonmanifesto/2006/04/07/martin-bright-responds Don't Write This Off], ''Euston Manifesto Blog on New Statesman Online'', 7 April 2006.
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*Martin Bright, [http://progress.squareeye.com/Magazine/article.asp?a=1351 Cavorting with extremists: Why is the left failing to take on the ideology of the Islamist extreme right?], Progress, 8 Sept 2006.
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====Related Articles====
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*Inayat Bunglawala, [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/inayat_bunglawala/2006/07/engagement_is_the_real_antidot.html Engagement is Still the Answer], ''The Guardian'', 17 July 2006
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*[http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/061005_an_exchange_with.php An Exchange with the Political Editor of the New Statesman], ''Medialens'', 5 Oct 2006
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*[http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/07/19/who_speaks_for_muslims.rm "Who Speaks for Muslims?"], Channel 4.
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===References===
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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[[Category:UK|Bright, Martin]][[Category:Decent left|Bright, Martin]]

Latest revision as of 18:44, 12 March 2013

Martin Bright is the political editor of the Jewish Chronicle.[1] He also blogs at The Spectator.[2] Bright is a former political editor of the New Statesman.[3] Bright is married to Vanessa Thorpe, the Observer’s arts correspondent.[4]

The great Koran con trick

In 2001 the New Statesman published an article by Bright titled "The great Koran con trick" which cited, among others, the work of Gerald Hawting, Patricia Crone and Michael Cook to question the authenticity of the Quran.[5]All three historians took exception to Bright's interpretation of their work.[6]Bright's former teacher and SOAS professor Gerald Hawting wrote:

The spurious air of conspiracy and censorship conjured up in Martin Bright's article is nonsense. All of the named scholars whose 'conclusions' are said to be so 'devastating' for Islam hold or held senior positions in front-rank universities and their books are published by leading university presses and other houses, freely available for anyone who cares to read them.
I did not 'warn' (whatever that might mean) the journalist concerned not to publish the article, and the 'decent obscurity' I suggested was for the right-wing and fundamentalist websites by which he is so fascinated. Penguin Books has not 'postponed' the publication of 'a controversial new history of Islam' by me. I was never contracted to them to write such a work. The implication that John Wansbrough was the founder of SOAS was probably the result of slipshod editing*, but the suggestion that his decision to live in France following retirement reflects a desire to live in 'obscurity' (a faraway country of which we know little!) is mere embroidery.[7]

When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries

In August 2005, Bright wrote in The Observer that "far from being moderate, the Muslim Council of Britain has its origins in the extreme orthodox politics in Pakistan. And as its influence increases through Whitehall, many within the Muslim community are growing concerned that this self-appointed organisation is crowding out other, genuinely moderate, voices of Muslim Britain."[8]

It was reportedly as a result of this article that Bright was contacted by a Foreign Office source who provided him with the material for a Channel Four documentary, Who Speaks for Muslims? and a Policy Exchange pamphlet.[9]

Published in July 2006, the pamphlet, When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries, accused the British Government of "pursuing a policy of appeasement towards radical Islam that could have grave consequences for Britain" through the Foreign Office's Engaging with the Islamic World Group and the Government's engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain.[10] It included a series of documents leaked by Bright's source, civil servant Derek Pasquill.[11] According to Bright, he chose a "slightly provocative publisher, because I believe a coalition of the left and right needs to be built around this issue."[12]

Policy Exchange has claimed[13] that this pamphlet influenced Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly to change the Government's relations with Muslim organisations.[14]

BICOM

In May 2008, Bright traveled "in Israel with a group of four other journalists as a guest of BICOM, a British organisation set up to improve Israel's image in the media."[15]

Affiliations

Contact, References and Resources

Contact

Email: martin@newstatesman.co.uk
Blog: http://www.spectator.co.uk/martinbright/

Resources

Articles by Bright

2006

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ Ian Burrell, A gentile voice that's set to trigger some heated debate, The Independent, 14 September 2009.
  2. ↑ Martin Bright, The Opening Salvo, The Bright Stuff, spectator.co.uk, 6 February 2009.
  3. ↑ Stephen Brook and James Robinson, Martin Bright leaves New Statesman, guardian.co.uk, 233 January 2009.
  4. ↑ Nick Cohen, Gordon Brown: the Fear and the Filth, Standpoint, 31 January 2010
  5. ↑ Martin Bright, The great Koran con trick, New Statesman, 10 December 2001.
  6. ↑ Dismissal of the Koran is offensive and counter-productive, New Statesman, 17 December 2001.
  7. ↑ Dismissal of the Koran is offensive and counter-productive, New Statesman, 17 December 2001.
  8. ↑ Martin Bright, Radical links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim group, The Observer, 14 August 2005.
  9. ↑ James Silver, Politically Correct - Interview: Martin Bright, The Guardian, 6 October 2007.
  10. ↑ When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries (pdf), by Martin Bright, Policy Exchange, 1 July 2006.
  11. ↑ 'Brave' official praised for leak, BBC News, 9 January 2008.
  12. ↑ James Silver, Politically Correct - Interview: Martin Bright, The Guardian, 6 October 2007.
  13. ↑ Terrorism and Security, Policy Exchange, accessed 6 March 2008.
  14. ↑ Britain: our values, our responsibilities, Ruth Kelly, Communities and Local Government, 11 October 2006.
  15. ↑ Martin Bright, The great betrayal, The New Statesman, 15 May 2008.
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