Gates of Vienna

Gates of Vienna is a far-right blog established in 2003 by Edward S. May and his wife.[1] The website has featured the writings of international hardline anti-Muslim writers such as Fjordman and Paul Weston, and "is a central player in the counter-jihad movement within the United States and across Europe".[1]

History and activities

The first blog entry was published on Blogspot in January 2003 by Baron Bodissey, a pseudonym used by May, along with his wife who wrote as Dymphna, and was run from Virginia, United States.[1] The name of the blog comes from the 1683 battle of Vienna, in which the alliance of Polish and Austrian armies defeated the invading Turkish Ottomans, framed by the blog as a fight between Christianity and Islam.[1][2][3]

May also writes as Ned May, and describes himself as a "computer programmer with some outlandish right-wing political ideas".[1] May has later participated in numerous "counter-jihad" conferences,[4] has been on the board of directors of the International Free Press Society,[1] and was the director of the International Civil Liberties Alliance.[5][6] He wrote articles for Breitbart News around 2011,[1] and was "the principal organizer of the international counter-jihad movement from 2006-2011".[6] The blog was investigated by the FBI after the 2011 Norway attacks as it was revealed that it was one of the most cited websites in the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik,[7] a neo-Nazi who exploited counter-jihad writings.[8] May has later said that the attack, which he condemned, has been used to try to "shut down" criticism of Islam and Sharia.[1]

The website features a banner that promotes the books and activities of anti-Muslim and far-right figures such as Geert Wilders, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff and Tommy Robinson.[1]

References
  1. "Factsheet: Gates of Vienna". Bridge Initiative. Georgetown University. September 18, 2020.
  2. Beaumont, Justin (2018). The Routledge Handbook of Postsecularity. Routledge. ISBN 9781315307817.
  3. Farrell-Banks, David (2022). Affect and Belonging in Political Uses of the Past. Taylor & Francis. p. 136. ISBN 9781000686210.
  4. Jamin, Jérome (2016). L'extrême droite en Europe. Bruylant. p. 238. ISBN 9782802755548.
  5. Berntzen, Lars Erik (2019). Liberal Roots of Far Right Activism: The Anti-Islamic Movement in the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 219. ISBN 9781000707960.
  6. "Key players: Edward S. May (aka Ned May and Baron Bodissey)". Hope not Hate. January 17, 2017.
  7. "FBI etterforsker Breiviks favorittside". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). August 1, 2011.
  8. "Breivik: - Jeg leste Hitlers Mein Kampf da jeg var 14 år". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). 16 March 2016.
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