Author: Peter Hitchens
Publication: The Mail
Date: July 11, 2004
"Soon it will be illegal to say
this, so I had better do it now. Islam - yes even "moderate" Islam- threatens
our freedom and civilisation. If we do not work out soon how to counter
it in open debate, we will find that its influence has gone too deep for
us to challenge or resist. The growing Muslim vote in Western Europe is
already frightening many politicians into a submissive attitude. If Turkey
joins the EU, the power of the mosque will grow even more.
This week there has been a great
fuss about the arrival in Britain of the Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
Some people have been surprised
to discover that such a man believes the suicide bombing of Israelis to
be just fine and that slapping your wife is all right (I am not sure it
is all right if her skin goes red afterwards. Ask the House of Lords).
I have no doubt he believes a lot of other things that would shock the
average British citizen. Muslims do.
Muslims think Mr Qaradawi is a "moderate".
Indeed a spokesperson for the Muslim Association of Britain, Sohaib Saeed,
has even specifically declared this is so.
Yet far from wanting Mr Qaradawi
to be deported or silenced, I would urge that he be encouraged to stay
and that his works and speeches be translated into clear English.
Islam turns a smiling face towards
us at the moment while it is still weak. It will be different when it is
strong.
Like many Conservatives, I went
through a patch of being rather sympathetic to what looked more like an
ally against the moral chaos of the West.
But after some reading and thought
I have concluded that Islam's answer is wrong and worse than wrong.
Although it pretends to be tolerant
of other faiths that tolerance is about as liberal as the old Apartheid
pass laws and often worse. In Sudan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia, Christians
face violent Muslim hostility.
The only place in Britain where
I have seen blatant anti-Semitic publications was an Islamic bookshop.
I cannot forget the story of the Brownie leader in Bradford who was stoned
in the street by Asian youths who snarled "Christian bitch" at her.
I don't know exactly why David Blunkett
wants to introduce a law protecting this fierce, militant faith from criticism.
We already have good laws to punish
anyone who persecutes Muslims or attacks their places of worship- laws
I wholly support and which should be rigorously enforced.
As long as it remains a minority
religion in a Christian society, Islam's different view of life concerns
only Muslims and they should be left alone.
But as this ceases to be a Christian
society, and as law and authority increasingly treat Christianity with
contempt, the danger is this. That, having foolishly and weakly abandoned
the faith that made us the free and happy place we are, we allow Islam
to impose its intolerant opinions on us by banning criticisms of it."
