Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
September 9, 2007
Murray-Arsenal-Usmanov

Earlier this month the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, wrote a piece about the British football (soccer) club Arsenal which is in the process of being bought/ruled by the Uzbeki oligarch Usmanov:

"Alisher Usmanov, potential Arsenal* chairman, is a Vicious Thug, Criminal, Racketeer, Heroin Trafficker and Accused Rapist."

After pressure from Usmanov’s lawyers, Craig’s website hoster seems to have removed that post from Craig’s site. Murray explains it here.

I have no idea if Craig Murray is right in his assessment, but I support his right to voice his learned opinion.

Usmanov is free to defend himself against Craig’s allegations by publishing a counter-opinion. ‘Defending’ himself by supressing free speech is not the right way.

Though the Google cache has been cleaned too, copies of Murray’s piece are alive here, here and here, on general USEnet servers in soc.alt.usa (hehe) and elsewhere.

These sources are potentially endangered. The best method against censorship is mass posting. Please help keep Craig’s writing alive and fight censorship by saving, distributing and re-posting more copies wherever you can.

Comments

I think it was Deaender who linked about a week ago, in the OT comments, the Craig Murray blog post. When I clicked on the link and read what Murray said, which I have no doubt is true, I thought to myself that Murray has just written his own death sentence. Look here: http://www.septicisle.info/2007/09/anyone-got-schilling.html

Posted by: Cloned Poster | Sep 9 2007 17:57 utc | 1

The post can also be found at:
http://www.wombles.org.uk/article200704865.php
http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/crossdale/entry/alisher_usmanov_the
http://phantomrepublic.blog.com/2064451/
http://alisherusmanov.blogspot.com/2007/09/alisher-usmanov-potential-arsenal.html
The more who post, the safer this expression of free speach will be.

Posted by: FreeFootball | Sep 10 2007 12:04 utc | 2

It is racism to classify Eastern thugs as worse than Western thugs. Where was the outrage when Bush bought up the Rangers — and whose family is really responsible for more suffering and deaths?
The current trends regarding free-speech on the internet are ominous indeed. Efforts like these pull in the easily manipulated outraged Liberals into the fray. Chomsky was right to stand up for the right of a Holocaust denier to publish his book. Creeping censorship, through targeting ISP’s, represents the beginning of the end of the thing we all love so well.
I may not agree with Murray’s outrage, but I fully support his right to free speech.
A very important post, b. We should keep tracking events along these lines.

Posted by: Malooga | Sep 10 2007 13:41 utc | 3

Malooga – you are totally misguided here, sorry. After the purchase of his stake in Arsenal, Usmanov, through his laywers at the British Schillings law firm sent out letters threatening legal action against ordinary every day Arsenal fans and bloggers who did nothing more than link to Craig Murray’s post. There is no equivalent to that activity anywhere. Usmanov is a thug. Usmanov has ties to organized crime. Usmanov is extremely close the Uzbek dictatorship that has murdered and commited countless human rights violations, including reportedly boiling dissidents alive. There is no equal to this type of activity. There is no current equal in the world right now to the mafia capitalism of the post-Soviet Union Russian Oligarchs. They are wretched, wretched men.

Posted by: Bubba | Sep 18 2007 8:03 utc | 4

The Uzbeks, as bad as they may be, have not killed as many as the Bushs’ and Bliars — who also have more links to organized crime than you suspect. Again, censorship is a problem. Why doesn’t every arsenal fan link to Murray’s blog. Usmanov can’t throw the whole city in jail — that’s his fan base. or why doesn’t the whole town boycott the team if he is so bad.
I know, that would be activism, and activism and mindless sports don’t mix.

Posted by: Malooga | Sep 18 2007 8:42 utc | 5

Murray has a right to express his opinions….Usmanov has no right to stifle that right….If you want to criticize Bush and Blair for their wrongdoings, then do so in a Bush/Blair Wrongdoing Blog….Show your support for freedom to express one’s opinion rather than confusing the issue by adding Bush/Blair……..

Posted by: Margaret D | Sep 21 2007 0:28 utc | 6

Malooga
You say “Why doesn’t every arsenal fan link to Murray’s blog”…
I say… That is the entire point of this blog and others which Arsenal fans are contributing to, his web site has been shut down, we are trying to keep the piece alive.
You say “why doesn’t the whole town boycott the team if he is so bad. I know, that would be activism, and activism and mindless sports don’t mix”
I say…
Firstly I find your last comment insulting and would argue that the mere fact that sports fans actively support their chosen team and attend arena where the sports are played out; is in fact a form af activism.
Secondly, I would like to point out that the Arsenal board and Arsenal fans are absolutely opposed to this mans involvement in the club. Again, the point of this and many other blogs is to keep the Usminov situation in the spotlight and to my mind that is activism. So it would appear that mindless sport and activism do mix.
Thirdly, as for the whole town boycotting the team… Sir, you are an ass!

Posted by: LifeLongGooner | Sep 21 2007 11:35 utc | 7

As a Fulham supporter, I’ll definitely be boycotting Arsenal… 😉

Posted by: Tantalus | Sep 21 2007 12:21 utc | 8