27 January 2016

Yes, Muslims are different. No, we shouldn't accept that

Oh dear. Where to start with Trevor Phillips? It’s tempting not to bother, since you have to wonder if he just says silly things just to get attention. He is, after all, a former journalist, and old habits die hard.

But let’s assume he’s serious about what he said at Policy Exchange this week about British Muslims:

“Continuously pretending that a group is somehow eventually going to become like the rest of us is perhaps the deepest form of disrespect.

“Because what you are essentially saying is the fact that they behave in a different way, some of which we may not like, is because they haven’t yet seen the light. It may be that they see the world differently to the rest of us.”

In other words, we mustn’t talk about Muslims integrating into British society and living lives that are more like the lives of their non-Muslim compatriots. We should accept that Muslims are different and respect their different ways. [391 comments]

[A TOP RATED COMMENT 155 votes] All migrants to Britain should respect our historical culture and make every effort to integrate with the entire community.

If you do not wish to do this, you are advised to leave.

[ANOTHER 125] Few Muslim women, if any, wore the veil in the 1970's or even 1980's in the UK.

So the question is why are they wearing it now, unless to make a very public political statement ?

If its also a " human right " for the veil to be worn, then its also a "human right" for others such as shop owners, bank employees,etc, not to serve anyone who in effect is deliberately wearing a mask.

They can't complain of being victimised if such incidents occur.

Only the emancipation of Muslim women will see the end of Islamic extremism.

That British feminists have already been repeatedly posted missing when horrific misogyny is being inflicted on Muslim women via forced marriage, FGM, honour killings, etc, says so much about the British feminist sisterhood.

No doubt issues such as gender specific childrens toys or banning Page 3 is more important.

[ANOTHER 114] Muslim Shmuslim.... Am I alone at being HEARTILY SICK of the special pleading, accommodation and down right nuisance caused by these people? I spent most of my life as a pretty liberal sort of chap, but I am SICK TO THE BACK TEETH of these people dominating the news and the reports of crime and problems that they bring.

If you are brown, black or yellow, and pleased to be British, and accept our ways gladly and are a part of them, I don't care where you come from or what kind of a fairy tale god you believe in, but if you live here acting like a special group, entitled to despise our values, and our world, and act out pre-modern prejudices against half the human race, I want you gone. [The Telegraph] Read more