On multiculturalism and Islamic faith schools
Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, has said the following ( full article via this link ) in an article published in the Evening Standard newspaper, London, 4 September 2006.
I believe Islam needs different treatment from other faiths because Islam is different from other faiths. It is the only one which teaches its followers to gain political power and then impose a law which governs every aspect of life, discriminating against women and non-believers alike. And this is ultimately why a naive multiculturalism leads not to a mosaic of cultures living in harmony, but to one threatened by Islamic extremism.
Is he right ?
If he is I'm not sure what can be done about it. It certainly looks like something that Labour are going to ignor, and I suspect doesn't fit the Conservatives agenda either. But in the long term, if and its a big if, Dr Sookhdeo is right then we will not be able to ignor it.
Further:
Worth checking out Drinking from homes viewing notes here on Islamic objectives by Terrorists.
3 comments:
Graplecrad - yes Shed's are a definite right and a necessity once family starts to come along. I hide from mine down here.
We had a great holiday in Scotland thanks. The major challenge is to keep your eyes off the beautiful scenery and on the A9 in front of you. Even saw a few eagles near Oban. The north east (Lossiemouth) is where I used to live for a year as a child and I'm always keen on the beaches there.
On the subject in hand I have a feeling your right - but the implications are so vast that its a conclusion not to arrive at quickly. May have to spend some time researching Islam more fully. Its too easy to get carried away by prejudice, but equally to easy to hide your head in the sand and hope someone else will deal with a problem.
It's becoming increasingly apparent that Muslims don't do religion. They do politics.
I have family working in the middle east and have spent some time there. What becomes obvious within a few weeks of living in even a 'moderate' country like Kuwait is the ever-presence of the 'Call to prayer' 5 times a day, with mosques and loud tannoyed minarets every square mile or so. There is a social obligation to pray. The Koran is indoctrinated into people. Young boys learn it by reading it by rote, and the Imams control the people, not the politicians. It is a system of control which limits the freedom in peoples lives but also provides security and social cohesion.
I don't think we are being reactionary by focusing on these things. Far from it. A lot of us were very open minded only a year or two ago before we realised the scale of the threat we've incubated in our own country.
Our country has gone to the dogs morally and spiritually, and we have little reverence for our native religion or culture any more. This is why our brand of 'multiculturalism'is so dangerous because in a way its built on self-loathing, and we're prepared to give credance to absolutely anything other than our native way of life.
I think until we reclaim that faith in ourselves and stand up for what feels 'right' then we can't counter Islamism effectively.
We don't have the principled political leadership to make that stand, though Ruth Kelly's speech last week refuting the dogma behind multiculturalism was a good start. But we need more, a lot more.
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