09 November 2011

Extremism is a problem and we need to get better at discussing it

.... There is an element of truth to the claim British Muslims have traditionally been reluctant to publicly condemn extremism unconditionally. But this isn’t out of sympathy to the extremist cause; rather a disconnection from the mainstream debate, poor leadership, lack of articulate voices and the ubiquity of conspiracy theory.

The media has also played a largely negative role here, preferring to amplify the voices of sensationalist fanatics on the fringes rather than balanced and moderate perspectives. [The Commentator] Read more