Thank Heavens, They're Responding
Oh good, and thank the stars; Muslims in Britain are beginning to see their way clear to their responsibility toward the larger community within which they reside. Plans are afoot to organize a rally in Glasgow on Saturday to present a united front against terrorism. To ensure that the public fully understands where they stand, and just incidentally to pre-empt the potential for a feared backlash against the Islamic community within Scotland.The event, to take place on 7 July, representing the second anniversary of the fatal bombings in London, will, it is fervently hoped, demonstrate to the public the organizers' determined disavowal of terrorism. The title given the rallies are apt enough: "Scotland United Against Terror". Suffice to say Scotland most certainly is together on this one; no one relishes the thought of such events taking place; unalloyed jihadism succeeding in murder and mayhem.
And like enterprisingly-alert religious communalists they have the good sense to invite faith leaders, churches, trade unionists and all others who have a stake in civilized togetherness in society to take part. All this, in the face of fears among Muslim of a rising tide of hostility, given recent events. And their experiences of the past.
Osama Saeed, spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, one of the key organizers of the rally reports: "it hurts when these things happen. "At the same time, I know that the people of Scotland as a whole will react to this as they should. But what you get is a small group of individuals who are out of control and want to take out a misplaced sense of revenge." Well...yes. Right on. Sounds familiar; isn't that a neat reversal?
"We have a simple equation facing us", he went on. "We have the terrorists on one side, and the rest of Scotland against them on the other - whether they be Muslim, Christian, people of other faiths or none. We mustn't start accusing people of being terrorists when they plainly are not." Heaven forfend.
Muslim leaders in London have the same message to their communities; of shared responsibility. The Muslim Council of Britain also plans to hold a meeting in London on Saturday for the purpose of discussing the manner in which Muslims might work better with the police. Good start; what's been holding them back up to now?
The council's deputy secretary general has spoken of a shift in tone. In recognition of the fact that there has been unfortunate criticism for its not being sufficiently on board in its past condemnation of extremism. "We acknowledge there is radicalization taking place in our community," according to Daud Abdullah.
They've earned a failing grade for effort, responsibility and engagement from Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress who points out the propensity of Islamic groups' utterance of the usual cliches of denunciation of acts of violence without coming to grips with the ideology of jihad enshrined in fanatical interpretations of the Koran.
He points out that Islamic spokespeople have become adept at promoting the positive in Islam, cautiously taking pains to avoid any suggestion that the doctrine of jihad is to be rejected. They delight in pointing out to a welcoming public anxious to censure Britain's involvement in Iraq that it is Britain's foreign policy that encourages terrorism.
Mr. Fatah states unequivocally that because politicians in Britain, Europe at large, and North America have been unwilling to unmask the terror potential in Islamism, that it's time for ordinary citizens to take the initiative and demand that those unwilling to accept the principles of secular democracy, be invited to leave and return to their countries of origin where theocracies and dictatorships offer them the lifestyle they obviously relish.
"My passport", Mr. Fatah tells us, "is not for rent. My country is not a parking lot and neither is it a port of convenience. It is my adopted home and I am not willing to let it decay at the hands of parasites." Harsh words but isn't he right? Isn't it the responsibility of all those seeking refugee status and citizenship in a country of choice that represents freedom and democracy to accept all facets of that country's values?
Until such time as we see fit to clean house and make our own needs known, recognized and accepted, to protect a valued way of life and our political institutions, Islamists will continue to instill the seeds of doubt and rebellion in the minds of insecure and easily-led Muslim men, indoctrinating them with the exalted views of personal sacrifice to the greater ideal of Islam, and in the process imperil our balanced existence.
There are no nuanced relationships between believers and non-believers, between East and West to radicalized Islamists intent on jihad; conquest and subjugation; only the success of pushing back history to a time when Islam was on the march, determined to succeed in a globalized Caliphate.
Sounds crazy, like some medieval plot for a belief-suspending theatrical production, doesn't it? A kind of conspiracy theory agenda on a scale grand enough for a very long novel itself with such an improbable thesis it would languish on the booksellers' shelves.
Labels: Political Realities, Terrorism
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, July 04, 2007
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