Will the advent of Gordon Brown seriously change the Government’s approach towards radical Islamism? Since the abortive attacks on a London night club and Glasgow airport, much energy has been expended on two issues: whether we can or can’t call terrorists Muslims and the number of days that the police can detain jihadi suspects.
But another, even more important, battle is being waged behind the scenes. Who should be the Government’s chosen Muslim partners in the struggle against radicalisation? Mr Brown is already facing a big push from an Islamist-friendly faction in the Cabinet, led by Jack Straw and John Denham, to bring the once pre-eminent Muslim Council of Britain back in from the cold.
The MCB was cast into outer darkness in October by Ruth Kelly, the first Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The breaking point for the Blair Government had been the MCB’s denunciation of British foreign policy in the aftermath of the airlines plot of last August. Mass casualties had been narrowly averted ”“ but the best that the MCB could do was blame the West. Far from challenging extremism ideologically, it was appeasing it.
The MCB lost government money, but it always had plenty of funding from other sources. What really hurt the MCB was the loss of influence, as Government sought to engage with a wider range of groups such as the Sufi Muslim Council. How to get back inside the tent has therefore been a serious goal for the MCB in the intervening period; it had been counting the days till Mr Blair’s departure.
Britain must either return to its non-liberal, nativist roots and send the Muslims swimming, or it must acquiesce in the erection of a parallell Islamic nation on its own soil. Such is the fate of secular democracies.
Having taken the trouble to read the entire Quran, as well as several histories of the Middle East, my answer is yes. If the British do not treat the problem they better get ready to live under a non-liberal Islamic state.
I don’t think we are going to do either. I expect we will continue to welcome those of other faiths and cultures who enhance our own and imprison those such as the cartoon protesters who break our laws.