Like all jihadi terror movements, Isis seeks to foment division, to sort the world into supporters and the rest. This is a violent campaign of disruption intended to destroy multiculturalism wherever it exists. With fear and terror Isis intends to sow mistrust and hatred between communities.
.... To call Islam “a religion of peace” can appear to be a crude attempt to manipulate both audiences at once. Similarly, the attempt to preach “British values”: schools should of course teach tolerance and open-mindedness, but this is done by example and by culture, not with slogans. And the people to show that Islam can enrich British values are Muslims themselves, in their ordinary lives.
They won’t do so because they are hectored to but because they identify the peace and charity that they actually practise both with Britain and with Islam. Without compromising core values of human rights and equality, there needs to be a better-recognised space for faith communities in secular society. This year, a handful of primary schools in east London banned fasting during Ramadan, inappropriate and unnecessary since young children are not expected to fast.
Finally, most problematic is the need to recognise that some foreign policy decisions – whether of omission or commission – shape Muslim opinion. That does not necessarily mean making different decisions, but it does mean greater awareness. It means recognising that the best weapon against the jihadis, the one they fear the most, is solidarity. [299 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 192 votes] More of the usual about Muslim feelings of alienation and lack of inclusion.
Why don't the Sikh, Hindu or Chinese communities in the West complain about underachievement at schools, lack of jobs, or not having a voice in government?
Why do we not have to deal with such extremism in those communities?
Pigheaded western policies in the Muslin world make the problem much worse than it would otherwise be, but that doesn't distract from the fact that there is currently an extreme rot eating away at the heart of Islam itself.
Perhaps part of the solution would be to recognize the cancer emanating from Saudi Arabia, and start treating that vile nation as the horror that it is?
[2ND 161] "fomenting division"
And the biggest part of that is religion. Yet faith schools are not only allowed, but positively welcomed.
Weirdly enough, I remember when there was some effort to get all kids in Northern Ireland to at least go to the same schools as one another, regardless of sect.
So, how about rule 1: NO religious education in ANY school? ALL kids, regardless of religion of their parents, to go to a state, secular school?
[3RD 156] "But it also means recognising that Muslim communities are both the poorest and the least participant in public life."
But I thought Jaywick near Clacton was the most deprived area in the UK; and there are certainly ex-mining towns in the Welsh valleys that I know of that are poor and deprived with very little participation in public life.
‘Too often to be a Muslim means underachievement at school, difficulty in finding a job, a struggle for promotion...’
And I thought it was white boys that were lagging behind in school these days.
Think again, Guardian.
[4TH 123] We are so bad in the west towards Muslim youth that we force them to go to Syria where they glorify in the killing of their fellow Muslims and raping Yazidi children. Where they seek to destroy cultures and ethic groups that have been in existence for thousands of years.
Total liberal lefty crap.
Would the Guardian write a similar editorial about the Waffen SS? On second thoughts they probably would.
[5TH 116] Wow - just when you thought the Guardian's obsession with identity politics couldn't make it get things more wrong regarding radical Islam, along comes this article.
To highlight one of its many, many failings: calling for a greater emphasis on faith communities?? Just incredible...
[6TH 112] No surprise that the guardians solution to terrorism is more multi culturalism and more refugees.
I love different cultures and races but even the bloody Germans admit that multi culturalism has been a massive failure that has caused massive problems (not least the ones in Paris).
This spits in the face of Guardian orthodoxy but the most disadvantaged people in this country are poor, white and male. (you will never hear anything from the Guardian about concern for them).
If this is about disaffected youth why are the poor white people not opening up on night clubs with automatic weapons?
If this is about cultural differences why are there no Polish / Sikh / Hindu terrorists in the UK?
The problem is medieval religions and the fucked up beliefs and people that it attracts.
We can start by eliminating state supported faith schools.
[7TH 109] You are talking to the wrong audience, Guardian.
You ought to have been shouting about solidarity in mosques, in madrassas, in Muslim community centres from decades ago.
Instead you chose to promote multiculturalism. All that has done has given (some) Muslims the perfect excuse to back away from wider society, to self-segregate.
And look what the result has been. Mini versions of the cultures they left behind.
Could things have gone any more wrong?
[8TH 105] A well meaning article. Unfortunately misguided and contradictory.
Premise of the author - Muslims feel disenfranchised because they underachieve school and subsequently the job market.
Apart from contradicting this papers view that we should welcome Islamic immigration (why would you want underachievers even if their culture didn't promote mysoginy, homophobia and the values of a 7th century warlord) it actually reinforces the view that Islamic culture is not compatible with learning and economic advancement ( unlike that of other "alien" cultures like Chinese, Hindus, Sikhs or even Africans.
If it were just underachievement at school and in the workplace Muslims would be like Roma.
At worst an inconvenience, and at best a worthy cause to transform into functioning Europeans.
[9TH 105] Typical guardian tripe. Stating primary schools banning fasting was unnecessary as children arent expected to fast. Its exactly because muslims were forcing their children to fast that schools banned it. Probably the same 25% of families who sympathise with the charlie hebdo attacks. [Guardian Cif] Read more
