Author: Hasan Suroor
Publication: The Hindu
Date: February 6, 2011
URL: http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/06/stories/2011020655091500.htm
Accused of reigniting the post-9/11 rows
Calls for social boycott of extremists
Prime Minister David Cameron was on Saturday
accused of reigniting the post-9/11 rows over Islam and fuelling Islamophobia
after he used a speech at an international security conference in Munich to
call for a more "muscular'' defence of Western values and a tougher approach
to tackling Muslim extremism saying the "hands-off tolerance'' would
not do.
In remarks that critics said had echoes of
the Blair-Bush speeches, he said Muslims living in the West must abide by
Western "values'' of tolerance, free speech and respect for women's rights.
Arguing that "passive'' multiculturalism that allowed minority groups
not to integrate had failed, Mr. Cameron said: "Frankly, we need a lot
less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular
liberalism."
He proposed a social boycott of separatist
Muslim groups urging Ministers to refuse to share platforms or engage with
them. They should also be denied access to public money in what was seen as
a veiled reference to the previous Labour government's policy of wooing Muslim
groups with funds.
"Let's properly judge these organisations:
Do they believe in universal human rights - including for women and people
of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they
believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government?
Do they encourage integration or separatism? These are the sorts of questions
we need to ask. Fail these tests and the presumption should be not to engage
with organisations," he added. Though Mr. Cameron took care to make a
distinction between the religion of Islam and the political ideology of Islamist
extremism saying it was wrong to link strong religious faith with radicalism,
his remarks drew criticism from Muslim groups. The Muslim Council of Britain
accused him of "targeting'' the Muslim community.
"Again it seems the Muslim community
is being treated as part of the problem rather than part of the solution,"
a spokesperson said.
Some Labour MPs and rights activists questioned
the timing of Mr. Cameron's remarks which coincided with an aggressive march
by the far-right English Defence League in the Muslim-dominated town of Luton
against "Islamisation'' of Britain.
