Lady Warsi has delivered a blistering critique of the government’s approach towards Britain’s Muslims, warning that failure to engage properly with communities across the UK has created a climate of suspicion and undermined the fight against extremism.
In her first major intervention on the relationship between Muslims and the rest of society since she resigned from the cabinet five months ago, Warsi says the coalition’s policy of non-engagement has caused deep unease and resentment towards the government.
.... She says: “The reality is if you haven’t cultivated a friendship, if you haven’t fostered trust, then a letter out of the blue to a mosque… with whom government has refused to engage creates a climate where even the most benign of correspondence can become toxic.” [3094 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 1358 votes] Might be a better idea to encourage the Muslim community to engage with the rest of Britain.
[2ND 916] "The onus on integration of immigrants into the UK should most definitely be on the incoming people"
That would help. But I would bet that most Muslims in the UK were born here as British citizens. And that is worrying. They choose alienation by religion and culture instead of enjoying the benefits of integration. And it is from within that group of British born Muslims that violent Islamism is emanating.
[3RD 856] In an Islamic state, Baroness Warsi would be flogged for her audacity
[4TH 825] It is maddening that the Muslim voices that the media allows us to hear are invariably those who view everything through a filter of victimhood.
Could we please hear from some liberal Muslims who wish to see a reformation in their religion, who wish to improve integration, who believe that it is possible to be both a proud Muslim and and a Briton simultaneously, who wish to see an end to horrific notions of 'apostasy', who wish to see gender equality and an end to homophobia?
[5TH 707] I like her in the conservative party. She's a great embarrassment to them.
[446] Perhaps if they integrated more, there would be less of a problem?
[424] And what does she mean by "engage"? Roll over and sell out all we value about our culture and democracy in order to appease fanatics who chose to live here and would impose their values on us? No thank you. It should have been like it or lump it from the start, in no uncertain language, if Muslims want the benefits of living in the UK they can adapt or live where there is a Muslim state. [The Guardian] Read more
