Mark Thomas condemns witch-hunt

Comedian and investigative journalist Mark Thomas has recently sent this message to Onay Kasab:

"I know Onay Kasab - Kas. I have had the privilege of working with him on the Ilisu Dam Campaign and on the issue of trade unionist deaths in Colombia. To accuse him of being racist is utter stupidity and madness. If using the image of three monkeys is racist then Gandhi is racist, Steve Bell and every working cartoonist for the past fifty years working in every continent are racists...those who brought this charge need to take a lie down in a quiet room, possibly with whale music playing and get a rest or they need to acknowledge their actions are motivated by other factors.

I know for a fact Kas is a dedicated and hard working union member who puts in remarkable time and energy. He exemplifies the very best traditions of trade unions, tireless, principled and open to debate, willing to fight for what he believes in but always ready to listen to other points of view.

Kas is happier to form an alliance than make an enemy over petty sectarian issues or spiteful office politics. If Kas is disciplined for having the audacity for asking for debate... a terrible crime I have to confess, after all what is trade unionism but abject obedience... Unison will be the loser, trade unionism will be the loser and the winners will be the Sun, the Mail, the spiteful hacks who will scream 'political correctness gone mad', the winners will the forces of conservatism (as David Blunkett said), the winners will be the right wing. Kas describes the actions against him of being a witch hunt... will there be an investigation into the use of the word 'witch' , after all this is a word that has gender bias inherently within it, witches were burnt for their gender and women have been accused of being witches in negative contexts for centuries... I demand justice, stop the use of the word 'witch-hunt'!"