Anti-British sentiment
Encyclopedia
Anti-British sentiment is prejudice, fear or hatred against the British Government, the culture
or the people
of the United Kingdom
, or its Overseas territories
.
dispute and the Falklands War
in 1982 with the United Kingdom. Due to this, anti-British protests and acts of vandalism do erupt.
, a shortened version of the original "Pommy". It is often combined with 'whing[e]ing' (complaining) to make the expression 'whingeing Pom' - a British immigrant who stereotypically
complains about everything in Australia. In 2007 a complaint to Australia
's Advertising Standards Bureau about a television commercial using the term 'Pom' was upheld and the commercial was withdrawn. However it should be noted that a vast majority of British nationals do not find the term "Pom" offensive, and often consider it as an insult used in jest with no real malice behind the expression. Likewise, many British nationals refer (again, in jest) to the Australian and New Zealand peoples as "Aussies" and "Kiwis" respectively, with no malice intended. However, most English expatriates interpret it as an inferiority complex by the Australians "cultural cringe"
Anti-British sentiment has been evident across Israel mainstream media. Israeli officials and media have routinely attempted to claim that the United Kingdom is "anti-semitic". In 2010, one of Israel's leading newspapers, Haaretz
, claimed that the United Kingdom was "anti-semitic" and claimed Britain had a "not-so-splendid heritage". Haaretz also mistakenly accused "The English" of controlling Scotland
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
. And went on to claim that Britain was occupying "Ireland's island". Haaretz also claimed Britain was a prime example of "European hypocrisy" and criticised its "shameful actions".
Michael Ben-Ari
(a member of the Israeli parliament
) referred to British people as "dogs" and accused Britain of being "anti-semitic". After the UK government expelled an Israeli diplomat due to Israel cloning British passports without Britain's consent and despite previously promising they would not do so, Aryeh Eldad (another member of the Israeli parliament) was quoted as saying "I think the British are behaving hypocritically and I don't want to offend dogs on this issue, since some dogs are utterly loyal".
. In July 2009, an adviser to Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei
called Britain "worse than America" for its alleged interference in Iran's post-election affairs. In the first half of the 20th century, the British Empire
exerted political influence over Iran (Persia) in order to control the profits from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. As a result, British influence was widely known to have been behind the overthrow of the Qajar Dynasty
in the 1920s, the subsequent rise of Reza Shah Pahlavi, and the successful coup d'etat
overthrowing prime minister Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953.
On Monday 9 August 2010, the senior Iranian minister and Iran's first vice president Mohammad Reza Rahimi declared that the British people were "stupid" and "not human". His remarks drew criticism from Simon Gass, the British ambassador in Iran, and also from the media in Britain..
In November 2011 the Iranian parliament voted to downgrade relations with the UK after British sanctions were imposed on Iran due to its nuclear programme. Politicians reportedly shouted "Death to Britain". On 29th November 2011, Iranian students in Tehran stormed the British embassy, ransacked offices, smashed windows, shouted "Death to England" and burned the British flag.
complained of an unreasonable hostility towards the British state by the people in the United States during the Napoleonic Wars
, brought about by the American Revolutionary War
.
The anti-Tom novel Tit for Tat
(written anonymously in 1856 by "A Lady of New Orleans") encouraged anti-British sentiment in reaction to Britain's positive reception of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
.
During the period of alliance between Britain and the United States
, anti-British sentiment took another form. Fleet Admiral Ernest King
had been noted for his Anglophobic views which affected his decision making during the "Second happy time
" (in the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)).
The LaRouche movement
has a strongly anti-British stance, viewing the British monarchy
and ruling class as an essentially criminal financial conspiracy.
In the 21st century, the Special Relationship
between the United States and the United Kingdom has come under attack by some people. For instance, advertising executive Steven A. Grasse published The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World
'.
Culture of the United Kingdom
The culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Kingdom and its people. It is informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, major power, and its composition of four countries—England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and...
or the people
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, or its Overseas territories
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
.
Argentina
Anti-British feeling in Argentina stems mainly from the Falkland IslandsFalkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
dispute and the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1982 with the United Kingdom. Due to this, anti-British protests and acts of vandalism do erupt.
Australia and New Zealand
'Pom' is a common Australasian slang word for British peopleBritish people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, a shortened version of the original "Pommy". It is often combined with 'whing[e]ing' (complaining) to make the expression 'whingeing Pom' - a British immigrant who stereotypically
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
complains about everything in Australia. In 2007 a complaint to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's Advertising Standards Bureau about a television commercial using the term 'Pom' was upheld and the commercial was withdrawn. However it should be noted that a vast majority of British nationals do not find the term "Pom" offensive, and often consider it as an insult used in jest with no real malice behind the expression. Likewise, many British nationals refer (again, in jest) to the Australian and New Zealand peoples as "Aussies" and "Kiwis" respectively, with no malice intended. However, most English expatriates interpret it as an inferiority complex by the Australians "cultural cringe"
Israel
In Israel, anti-British sentiment historically stems from British policies in the mandate era, and in modern times from the perceived anti-Israel stance of the British media.Anti-British sentiment has been evident across Israel mainstream media. Israeli officials and media have routinely attempted to claim that the United Kingdom is "anti-semitic". In 2010, one of Israel's leading newspapers, Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, claimed that the United Kingdom was "anti-semitic" and claimed Britain had a "not-so-splendid heritage". Haaretz also mistakenly accused "The English" of controlling Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. And went on to claim that Britain was occupying "Ireland's island". Haaretz also claimed Britain was a prime example of "European hypocrisy" and criticised its "shameful actions".
Michael Ben-Ari
Michael Ben-Ari
Michael Ben-Ari is an Israeli politician, and a current member of the Knesset for the National Union party. He is the first outspoken disciple of Rabbi Meir Kahane to be elected to the Knesset. He has a Ph.D in Land of Israel studies.-Biography:...
(a member of the Israeli parliament
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
) referred to British people as "dogs" and accused Britain of being "anti-semitic". After the UK government expelled an Israeli diplomat due to Israel cloning British passports without Britain's consent and despite previously promising they would not do so, Aryeh Eldad (another member of the Israeli parliament) was quoted as saying "I think the British are behaving hypocritically and I don't want to offend dogs on this issue, since some dogs are utterly loyal".
Iran
Anti-British sentiment, sometimes described as Anglophobia, has been described as "deeply entrenched in Iranian culture", and reported to be increasingly prevalent in IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. In July 2009, an adviser to Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
called Britain "worse than America" for its alleged interference in Iran's post-election affairs. In the first half of the 20th century, the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
exerted political influence over Iran (Persia) in order to control the profits from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. As a result, British influence was widely known to have been behind the overthrow of the Qajar Dynasty
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
in the 1920s, the subsequent rise of Reza Shah Pahlavi, and the successful coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
overthrowing prime minister Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953.
On Monday 9 August 2010, the senior Iranian minister and Iran's first vice president Mohammad Reza Rahimi declared that the British people were "stupid" and "not human". His remarks drew criticism from Simon Gass, the British ambassador in Iran, and also from the media in Britain..
In November 2011 the Iranian parliament voted to downgrade relations with the UK after British sanctions were imposed on Iran due to its nuclear programme. Politicians reportedly shouted "Death to Britain". On 29th November 2011, Iranian students in Tehran stormed the British embassy, ransacked offices, smashed windows, shouted "Death to England" and burned the British flag.
United States
President Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
complained of an unreasonable hostility towards the British state by the people in the United States during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, brought about by the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
The anti-Tom novel Tit for Tat
Tit for Tat (1856 novel)
Tit for Tat is an 1856 novel written anonymously by "A Lady of New Orleans".- Overview :Tit for Tat is one of several examples of plantation literature that emerged in the Southern United States in response to the 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which had been criticised in...
(written anonymously in 1856 by "A Lady of New Orleans") encouraged anti-British sentiment in reaction to Britain's positive reception of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
.
During the period of alliance between Britain and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, anti-British sentiment took another form. Fleet Admiral Ernest King
Ernest King
Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II. As COMINCH, he directed the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the U.S...
had been noted for his Anglophobic views which affected his decision making during the "Second happy time
Second happy time
The Second Happy Time , also known among German submarine commanders as the "American shooting season" was the informal name for a phase in the Second Battle of the Atlantic during which Axis submarines attacked merchant shipping along the east coast of North America...
" (in the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)).
The LaRouche movement
LaRouche movement
The LaRouche movement is an international political and cultural network that promotes Lyndon LaRouche and his ideas. It has included scores of organizations and companies around the world. Their activities include campaigning, private intelligence gathering, and publishing numerous periodicals,...
has a strongly anti-British stance, viewing the British monarchy
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
and ruling class as an essentially criminal financial conspiracy.
In the 21st century, the Special Relationship
Special relationship
The Special Relationship is a phrase used to describe the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, following its use in a 1946 speech by British statesman Winston Churchill...
between the United States and the United Kingdom has come under attack by some people. For instance, advertising executive Steven A. Grasse published The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World
The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World
The Evil Empire: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World is an anglophobic book written by Steven A. Grasse, the chief executive officer of Philadelphia marketing agency Gyro. It was first published in April 2007 by Quirk Books. In it, the author argues that many of the world's problems were...
'.