Fred Phelps, Daughter Barred From Entering U.K.

As they've done many times before, Westboro Baptist Church leader Fred Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper had planned to picket an upcoming production of the Matthew Shepard play The Laramie Project -- but the United Kingdom will have none of their "extremist" hate.

According to London's Daily Telegraph, Phelps and his daughter have been barred from entering the country because their church has called for violence against gays.

The two had planned to picket a production of the show at the school arts center in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on Friday, but according to reports, if they attempt to enter the country, they will be stopped by immigration officials.

"Both these individuals have engaged in unacceptable behavior by inciting hatred against a number of communities," a U.K. Border Agency spokesperson told the Telegraph. "The Government has made it clear it opposes extremism in all its forms.

"We will continue to stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country."

Phelps and members of his Kansas church have regularly picketed the funerals of gay men and women as well as U.S. soldiers, claiming their deaths are punishment for America's tolerance of gays and lesbians. (Advocate.com)

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Reader Comments

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Name: Rowan
Date posted: 2/23/2009 7:58:00 AM
Hometown: UK

Comment:
Since when do we hate free and honest dialogue in the UK?? Which is free speech? If you do not want to engage with intelligent discourse, then it's your bad. That dutch minister was being outlandish. Islam NEVER caused any wars until the UK and the US decided to meddle into their affairs due to blimming oil! So whose to blame? YOU are for voting for Thatcher OR Bush..or any right wing president. Before the 20th century, the arabs fought amongst themselves...the christians are the ones who went with the Bible and a gun to Africa, the America's, Asia...you name it. So if we want to use our brains and figure out who is the most aggressive of the religions, let us all look at the religion that first started off during the Roman times as a cult and now has the most followers.
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Name: Charles
Date posted: 2/23/2009 3:39:00 AM
Hometown: Camillus, NY

Comment:
God Hates Phelps!
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Name: Charles
Date posted: 2/23/2009 3:35:00 AM
Hometown: Camillus, NY

Comment:
The Phelps' are scum!
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Name: Mike
Date posted: 2/22/2009 12:18:00 PM
Hometown: Chicago

Comment:
Republican Lover: It's been shown many, many times over that "incitement to hate" is directly linked to "incitement to commit hate-based crimes," in other words, crimes that would not normally be either committed or committed as violently as if the "incitement" weren't there. Do some research. They're not policing thought, they're taking active steps to protect their citizens before someone gets hurt...or killed. Something from which our own country could take a good lesson.
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Name: justalittleguy
Date posted: 2/22/2009 12:13:00 PM
Hometown: Planet Earth

Comment:
Homosexuals are the most hated people on the planet and have been since the beginning of time. For example, how many parents are content for their 14 year old son or 14 year old daughter to bring home a same sex girlfriend or boyfriend in a teenage romantic sense? Just because one is a minority doesn't mean they don't or can't have an awesome life - quite the contrary - but it also doesn't mean that they will at anytime be less hated by others than they are. Fred Phelps runs a church which is a private organization where people give money and become members in good standing.
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Name: Porkie
Date posted: 2/22/2009 6:47:00 AM
Hometown: Louargat 22540 Bretagne

Comment:
The sentiments and beliefs that Mr Phelps expresses are (unfotunately)common ones and there is no bar on anyone holding these beliefs or cruicially expressing them entering the uk, or to my knowledge any other european country. Mr Phelps could however be denied entry to uk sovereign territory on the grounds of the way he communicates his beliefs, Mr. Phelps, under the uk law has an obligation to repect the rights, dignity and saftey of those around him. His language and methods are aggressive and confrontational and may serve to upset, demene and oppress those individuals and groups whom he targets he may also incite others in attacking these groups. "Enjoy your police state you yellow Limeys!... guantallemo... the patriot act the name says it all......
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Name: Tom
Date posted: 2/22/2009 5:05:00 AM
Hometown: San Jose

Comment:
Pity that we can keep them out of the US as well, but if we could make that stick, they and their ilk (the American Family Association, the People for "Truth" about Homosexuality, and any number of other wak jobs would have had us in the pillory long ago. As it is, Phelps and his crowd do us a favor - by showing the the country and the world just how intolerant this country is. You go, girl!
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Name: joe
Date posted: 2/22/2009 4:26:00 AM
Hometown: springfield

Comment:
So the United Kingdom is keeping good ole Freddie and his child-bride Shirley out of their country: kudos to them! Those two can cavort like the white trailer-park trash that they are here in the good ole 50, but it's a different story when they go to another country who won't tolerate their non-sense. Though I must tell the truth and shame the Devil, I sure home they would go to one of the United Arab countries and do the wrong thing and lose their heads over it. Now, would that be poetic justice, or what?
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Name: RickyAM
Date posted: 2/21/2009 4:27:00 PM
Hometown: Norman, OK

Comment:
You know these people are really stupid when they come to Oklahoma to protest. We're the most anti-gay state in the union and after utah's governor joined our fight and moved us into the number 1 spot.
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Name: Jorge
Date posted: 2/21/2009 3:29:00 PM
Hometown: Houston, TX

Comment:
The UK made the right decision by protecting a large population and taking a more moral approach than to having such a negative, misguided religious extremist in their country. When we fill our hearts and minds with hatred (no matter how justified it is) it blocks out other ways of thinking and keeps us from living a happy life.

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