20 January 2015

Dear Eric Pickles – why single out Islam for this patronising treatment?

You question our loyalty for no reason other than our spiritual beliefs. Will you ever sit down with the diverse peoples who make up Britain and really listen to us?

Serious question. Will you be sending a letter any time soon to members of the Roman Catholic church following the child-abuse scandals in Catholic institutions? Or a letter to the Board of Deputies of British Jews on the subject of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank? No? Thought as much.

.... You are communities secretary. You have a duty of care to the diverse peoples who make up Britain and define British values. Sadly, it seems the only time you engage with us is under the rubric of counter-terrorism. [2879 comments]

[TOP RATED COMMENT 1467 votes] "why single out Islam "

That should be pretty obvious!

[2ND 1188] "Do you really think that little of our young people? That they can’t tell the difference between right and wrong?"

.... there is .... a problem when hundreds of your young people go out to fight for an organisation which carries out such dreadful crimes against humanity as ISIS. I suggest you are in denial of this.

[3RD 885] "We already know that 83% of Muslims living in the UK say they identify with British values"

OK and how many of that 83% thought that a publication in the UK (consistent with British values of a free press and freedom of speech) should be permitted to print an image of the prophet?

That's the problem. Its all very well claiming to identify with British values but its meaningless if its a cherry picked interpretation and one that is subordinate to an identification with religious values.

[4TH 871] .... The pattern of violence and aggressive disregard for human suffering that is persistent in Muslim history and contemporary attitude toward non-believers reflects the message of the Quran, which is one of personal superiority and arrogance.

.... There is simply no other religion on earth that draws such sharp distinction between its own members and others, or devotes as much time of its holist text toward condemning and dehumanizing those who merely choose not to follow its dogma.

[6TH 853] Well, it wasn't Buddhist extremists that attacked Charlie Hebdo.

[10TH 601] "Dear Eric Pickles – why single out Islam for this patronising treatment?"

Yeah, what about all those mormons running around shooting cartoonists?

[11TH 563] The catholic church has admitted its culpability in turning a blind eye to that abuse, no such admission from Islam for turning a blind eye to radicals amongst them.

What Israel does is condemned by all political parties and across all faiths including Jews.

Yet we see daily pictures of moslems celebrating extremism in their midsts and the atrocities carried out in the name of their religion. [Guardian Cif] Read more