Sadiq Khan, the MP for Tooting in south London who is Labour's candidate for the London mayoral election on 5th May 2016 (his main rival in the race to be the new Mayor of London will be Zac Goldsmith of the Conservative Party, but candidates from several other parties are also standing), has said that British Muslims must "tackle extremism" and stop tolerating "social segregation" and that "for too long we have buried our heads in the sand” about the growth of extremism among young Muslims in our country.
Of course, being a Muslim himself, Mr Khan is automatically exempt from the usual barrage of cries of "racist" and "Islamophobe" from the liberal thought police.
Yet it is nevertheless a courageous politician who dares to point out what is blatantly obvious to the rest of us – but which our elected representatives are mostly too timid to admit.
Islam is still rooted in the values of the dark ages – and until we accept that, we will never get rid of radicalism
Sadiq Khan is right – Muslims must integrate – but we must accept the truth about their faith
For too many decades, Britain's Muslims have lived as a separate community Photo: ALAMY
By Julia Hartley-Brewer
19 Nov 2015
The Telegraph
1286 Comments
British Muslims must “tackle extremism”.
We must stop tolerating “social segregation”.
“For too long we have buried our heads in the sand” about the growth of extremism among young Muslims in our country.
No, not the words of Ukip's Nigel Farage but of Labour’s London Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, speaking today at a Westminster lunch.
Mr Khan, a Muslim born in London to Pakistani immigrants, is one of the very few politicians in mainstream politics who is brave enough to speak the truth about the ever growing issues facing Britain’s Muslim population.
Labour MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan, is a Muslim born in London to Pakistani parents Photo: REX
Of course, being a Muslim himself, Mr Khan is automatically exempt from the usual barrage of cries of “racist” and “Islamophobe” from the liberal thought police.
Yet it is nevertheless a courageous politician who dares to point out what is blatantly obvious to the rest of us – but which our elected representatives are mostly too timid to admit.
Yes, as Mr Khan said, British Muslims “have a special role to play in tackling extremism”. As he says, that’s not because they – simply by virtue of sharing the same religion as the terrorists – are any more responsible for terror attacks than non-Muslims, but because they can be “more effective” at tackling that extremism.
Britain’s extremist Islamists, after all, are not coming from ordinary Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish or atheist backgrounds. They are coming from ordinary Muslim families, they have Muslim friends and they live in largely Muslim neighbourhoods.
Most British Muslims live in largely British neighbourhoods Photo: Jeff Gilbert
It is therefore those families, friends and neighbours who are likely to be the first to hear those extremist views and thus be in the position to challenge them at the earliest opportunity and, we hope, stem their growth into full-bodied Islamist violence.
And that is crucial to Sadiq Khan’s other key point: it is time the social segregation of Muslims came to an end.
For too many decades, many of Britain’s 2.7 million Muslims have lived here as a separate, co-existing community, right at the heart of our great cities but at the fringes of our society.
As Mr Khan said: “Too many British Muslims grow up without really knowing anyone from a different background. We’ve protected people’s right to live their cultural life at the expense of creating a common life.”
Huge numbers of British Muslims are concentrated in distinct neighbourhoods, often living with, going to school with, working with, befriending and marrying only other Muslims. “This,” as Mr Khan so rightly pointed out, “creates the conditions for extremism and radicalisation to take hold.”
Huge numbers of British Muslims are concentrated in distinct neighbourhoods Photo: Channel 4
Is it really any wonder then that so many young British Muslims feel they are not really British when they have grown up isolated and alienated from the rest of the population?
British Muslims need to face up to some home truths. But so too does Sadiq Khan.
Because, despite talking so much sense about integration and tackling extremism, the Labour MP still wasn’t brave enough to tell the one truth that really does need to be faced if we are going to end this deadly threat.
In the very same speech, Mr Khan said the Paris terror attacks were carried out “in the name of a sick and evil ideology, a grotesque and perverse worldview which has nothing to do with the Islam that I know.”
That is nonsense. It is ludicrous to pretend that Islamism has nothing to do with Islam. It has everything to do with Islam and that is precisely why it has such a potent appeal to so many young Muslim men and women.
As any scholar of Islam will tell you, the ideology behind Isil and al-Qaeda is as rooted in the Koran as are daily prayers and eating halal meat. Like Christianity, it just depends which verses you care to read and how literal an interpretation you choose to give them.
The ideology behind Isil is as rooted in the Koran as are daily prayers Photo: Getty
While Christianity has certainly been the cause of more than its fair share of violent bloodshed over the centuries, it has now evolved into a religion that is largely a force for peace.
Islam, though, has never been through an enlightenment or a reformation and is still rooted in the values of the dark ages. That is why Islamic extremism has boomed at a time when the rest of the world is embracing the liberal, democratic values of the 21st century.
Sadiq Khan should be applauded for his courage in speaking the truth about segregation and radicalisation.
But until we all accept the truth about the roots of Islamic extremism, we won’t win the battle for hearts and minds – let alone the bloody war that awaits.
NUMBER OF MUSLIMS WITH DEGREES (2001)
20.6%
OVERALL UK POPULATION WITH DEGREES (2001)
19.8%
NUMBER OF MUSLIMS WITH DEGREES (2011)
24%
OVERALL UK POPULATION WITH DEGREES (2011)
27.2%
OTHER UK RELIGIONS ALSO OUTPERFORM BRITISH MUSLIMS (2011)
Sikhs 30.1%
Hindus 44.6%
BRITISH MUSLIMS THAT HAVE NEVER WORKED (2011)
21.3%
UK AS A WHOLE THAT HAS NEVER WORKED (2011)
4.3%
LOWER MANAGERIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL JOBS (2011)
Muslim 10%
UK overall: 20%
PROPORTION OF MUSLIMS IN UK WITH NO QUALIFICATIONS
2001: 39%
2011: 26%
UK overall: 23%
Islam is still rooted in the values of the dark ages – and until we accept that, we will never get rid of radicalism - Telegraph
Of course, being a Muslim himself, Mr Khan is automatically exempt from the usual barrage of cries of "racist" and "Islamophobe" from the liberal thought police.
Yet it is nevertheless a courageous politician who dares to point out what is blatantly obvious to the rest of us – but which our elected representatives are mostly too timid to admit.
Islam is still rooted in the values of the dark ages – and until we accept that, we will never get rid of radicalism
Sadiq Khan is right – Muslims must integrate – but we must accept the truth about their faith
For too many decades, Britain's Muslims have lived as a separate community Photo: ALAMY
By Julia Hartley-Brewer
19 Nov 2015
The Telegraph
British Muslims must “tackle extremism”.
We must stop tolerating “social segregation”.
“For too long we have buried our heads in the sand” about the growth of extremism among young Muslims in our country.
No, not the words of Ukip's Nigel Farage but of Labour’s London Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, speaking today at a Westminster lunch.
Mr Khan, a Muslim born in London to Pakistani immigrants, is one of the very few politicians in mainstream politics who is brave enough to speak the truth about the ever growing issues facing Britain’s Muslim population.
Labour MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan, is a Muslim born in London to Pakistani parents Photo: REX
Of course, being a Muslim himself, Mr Khan is automatically exempt from the usual barrage of cries of “racist” and “Islamophobe” from the liberal thought police.
Yet it is nevertheless a courageous politician who dares to point out what is blatantly obvious to the rest of us – but which our elected representatives are mostly too timid to admit.
Yes, as Mr Khan said, British Muslims “have a special role to play in tackling extremism”. As he says, that’s not because they – simply by virtue of sharing the same religion as the terrorists – are any more responsible for terror attacks than non-Muslims, but because they can be “more effective” at tackling that extremism.
Britain’s extremist Islamists, after all, are not coming from ordinary Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish or atheist backgrounds. They are coming from ordinary Muslim families, they have Muslim friends and they live in largely Muslim neighbourhoods.
Most British Muslims live in largely British neighbourhoods Photo: Jeff Gilbert
It is therefore those families, friends and neighbours who are likely to be the first to hear those extremist views and thus be in the position to challenge them at the earliest opportunity and, we hope, stem their growth into full-bodied Islamist violence.
And that is crucial to Sadiq Khan’s other key point: it is time the social segregation of Muslims came to an end.
For too many decades, many of Britain’s 2.7 million Muslims have lived here as a separate, co-existing community, right at the heart of our great cities but at the fringes of our society.
As Mr Khan said: “Too many British Muslims grow up without really knowing anyone from a different background. We’ve protected people’s right to live their cultural life at the expense of creating a common life.”
Huge numbers of British Muslims are concentrated in distinct neighbourhoods, often living with, going to school with, working with, befriending and marrying only other Muslims. “This,” as Mr Khan so rightly pointed out, “creates the conditions for extremism and radicalisation to take hold.”
Huge numbers of British Muslims are concentrated in distinct neighbourhoods Photo: Channel 4
Is it really any wonder then that so many young British Muslims feel they are not really British when they have grown up isolated and alienated from the rest of the population?
British Muslims need to face up to some home truths. But so too does Sadiq Khan.
Because, despite talking so much sense about integration and tackling extremism, the Labour MP still wasn’t brave enough to tell the one truth that really does need to be faced if we are going to end this deadly threat.
In the very same speech, Mr Khan said the Paris terror attacks were carried out “in the name of a sick and evil ideology, a grotesque and perverse worldview which has nothing to do with the Islam that I know.”
That is nonsense. It is ludicrous to pretend that Islamism has nothing to do with Islam. It has everything to do with Islam and that is precisely why it has such a potent appeal to so many young Muslim men and women.
As any scholar of Islam will tell you, the ideology behind Isil and al-Qaeda is as rooted in the Koran as are daily prayers and eating halal meat. Like Christianity, it just depends which verses you care to read and how literal an interpretation you choose to give them.
The ideology behind Isil is as rooted in the Koran as are daily prayers Photo: Getty
While Christianity has certainly been the cause of more than its fair share of violent bloodshed over the centuries, it has now evolved into a religion that is largely a force for peace.
Islam, though, has never been through an enlightenment or a reformation and is still rooted in the values of the dark ages. That is why Islamic extremism has boomed at a time when the rest of the world is embracing the liberal, democratic values of the 21st century.
Sadiq Khan should be applauded for his courage in speaking the truth about segregation and radicalisation.
But until we all accept the truth about the roots of Islamic extremism, we won’t win the battle for hearts and minds – let alone the bloody war that awaits.
NUMBER OF MUSLIMS WITH DEGREES (2001)
20.6%
OVERALL UK POPULATION WITH DEGREES (2001)
19.8%
NUMBER OF MUSLIMS WITH DEGREES (2011)
24%
OVERALL UK POPULATION WITH DEGREES (2011)
27.2%
OTHER UK RELIGIONS ALSO OUTPERFORM BRITISH MUSLIMS (2011)
Sikhs 30.1%
Hindus 44.6%
BRITISH MUSLIMS THAT HAVE NEVER WORKED (2011)
21.3%
UK AS A WHOLE THAT HAS NEVER WORKED (2011)
4.3%
LOWER MANAGERIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL JOBS (2011)
Muslim 10%
UK overall: 20%
PROPORTION OF MUSLIMS IN UK WITH NO QUALIFICATIONS
2001: 39%
2011: 26%
UK overall: 23%
Islam is still rooted in the values of the dark ages – and until we accept that, we will never get rid of radicalism - Telegraph
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