21 July 2015

Muslims in Britain must feel and act more British, says SHIRAZ MAHER

For too long, the British political establishment has been in a state of denial and disengagement about the threat of Islamic extremism.

It is an attitude that has been promoted not only by fears – however misplaced – about accusations of Islamophobia, but also by the belief that jihadism is a problem to be resolved solely by Muslims.

But David Cameron’s courageous and wide-ranging speech is one of the most significant recent interventions on this issue by a Western leader.

If his rhetoric is translated into action, then we can finally mount a proper challenge to the vile extremist Islamist dogma that is causing such misery across the world, including here in Britain.

.... The point about Islamist ideology is one that Mr Cameron has made several times before. It was at the heart of a speech to an international security conference in Munich in 2011, when he highlighted the dangers of ignoring the ideological roots of extremism.

Yesterday he went further, arguing that it is the intolerant, repressive dogma of extremist Islamism itself that feeds the unrelenting cycle of violence. ‘An extremist world view is the gateway, violence the ultimate destination,’ he said. [Daily Mail] Read more