We can’t expect Muslims in Britain not to react when Britain invades Muslim countries and kills thousands of Muslims. British foreign policy also unequivocally supports USA and Israel in continuous actions of bloodshed and slaughter on a mass scale. Meanwhile back in Britain there’s the police’s heavy handed tactics in dealing with innocent Muslims, as well as the inherent islamophobic undertones that pervade British society.
While I do not ignore that the atrocities of 9/11 and 7/7 has impacted upon the scrutiny of Muslims in Europe, this is no reason for Muslims in Italy to be refused mosques, or the marginalisation of Muslims in Germany and Moscow, or the discontent of Muslims in France after the riots which was no fault of their own, nor the level of disadvantage received by those in Britain amidst claims that they’ve turned London into an epicentre of Islamic militancy. Many will ask how Muslims in Europe have been prevented from integrating into the nations they've joined, while ignoring the evident social inequality of areas where many people live, highlighting the need for the implementation of policies and interventions which seek to merge criminal justice policy, social policy and welfarism. As a result we increasingly hear about the self-instigation of transitionary sub-cultural identification as a response to the problems of the main society and culture which they are witness to. This can include blocked opportunities, contradicting norms and values, inadequately defined roles, and the sole occupational prospect of meaningless work. Rather then disfranchising Muslim youth with negative programming, the way forward is instead in providing positive images, role-models and increasing available support in addressing substance misuse, unemployment and housing problems.
Some have questioned why well-off, middle-class Muslim teenagers could be seduced by the radicals. The answer is in the fact that Britain has a history of creating moral panics which encourage the nation to fear various groups within youth cultures, just as specific groups of teens in America have been feared in previous and current eras. I don’t know what makes a well-off, middle-class Muslim teenager in Britain strap on a bomb, any more than you know why a well-off, middle-class Christian teenager in America shoots his school friends. Although we are constantly warned of the threat we face from these individuals, we must remember that generalising an entire group to create a moral panic is not always warranted, productive, or even correct.
Article comments
1 - John Bambenek
You're not giving me a free white collar job and a six figure income so I'm not going to do anything to help you keep people from blowing up your kids!
2 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
"We are all 'Islamists': a believer or follower of Islam (dictionary definition) and most of all - we are all moderate because Islam is a moderate way of life, balanced to make life easier for us by doing that which is right. Those that perpetuate violence, terror, injustice and oppression, are not behaving Islamically."
This should be you lead line, Jamal, not something buried under five paragraphs of verbiage.
That you do not see fit to put this out front and center at the very top of what you write, is what has your neighbors in Europe increasingly angered. The terrorists who have murdered hundreds in the name of Islam in Europe and thousands elsewhere have done so in your name. If that disgusts you, you should come right out and say so, loud and clear. After having made that point with your readers, you can then talk about injustices against Moslems in European society, if you wish.
By not doing so, by begrudgingly burying such a statement in the bottom of your article, you give a very different message about what you really think.
3 - Apollo
jamal, this is nothing but victimology. blaming everyone else but yourselves for the problem.
Even i would like u to be specific about what u mean by the word "react"?
DO u think killing is a legitimate way to "react"
Do u say wearing "Hezbollah" t-shirts and chanting "We are all Hezbollah" is a way to "react"?
4 - Bliffle
The opening sentence is simply wrong:
"We can't expect Muslims in Britain not to react when Britain invades Muslim countries and kills thousands of Muslims."
Sure you can. Especially when "react" means violence and murder. You have to take your citizenship more seriously because that is where you will live and be judged.
5 - jamal
The reality is that people react to that which offends them. As Politics is being being used to engineer wars, it is no surprise that some Muslims are responding with violence, particularly when their kin are dying elsewhere in the world. However, some will march, some will write to their politician, in the UK some will become discontented with their government, while the few will commit acts of violence.
The British Government accepts that its foreign policy has created discontent amongst Muslims and non-muslims and Britain, and is a key factor in some being susceptable to extreme imfluences.
6 - jamal
Ruvy, understand this. The governments of UK and USA have killed many more than those killed by terrorists claiming to fight in the name of Islam. They accept that Iraq is a failure and breeds radicalism.
Many, including myself, speak out about both. But the fact remains that the atrocities caused via the war on terror is the greater evil. It is state sponsored terrorism on a massive scale, by nations claiming to be 'civilised' and the '1st world'. Therefore, this should always be condemned in the first instance.
7 - GJ Klaver
Islam atrocities date from the nineteen sixties and have bugger all to do with Tony Blair or the war in Iraq.
Wanna list?
You really, really need to be ashamed to be a muslim. It's a xenophobic, homophobic, anti-semite and female-hostile religion.
8 - jamal
GJ, I can supply you with a longer list of Christian related atrocities, or even USA/UK related atrocities for that matter. Your view of Islam is very incorrect and therefore you appear to be a prime example of those that oppress muslim in europe due to your discriminating and very backward views. Such views actually allow for extremists to spread their views that attacking civilians is justified. Do you not accept that you reap wat you sow?
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Jamal,
You're no fool. You know as well as I that there is no "war on terror." There is a war to control the Middle East. You know as well as I that for the American president (or British prime minister) to send forces to cut off the snakes head of the Wahhabi hate producing monarchy would be peeing on George Bush's bosses shoes. So American and British armed forces are not sent there but to Iraq and Afghanistan on the pretext of unhorsing Saddam Hussein and capturing Osama bin ladin (you gotta do somthin' when a bumch of planes knock down tall buildings in Noo Yawk in a single shot).
So, a Moslem like you gets to look like trash, even though so far as you are concerned,the violence done in your name is not what you want to see.
In spite of tghe fasct that you and I differ greatly on a number of issues, I do understand what it is like to be the minority who needs to demonstrate some kind of loyalty to the country he lives in.
So, in spite of all your outrage, that declaration needs to come first - kind of like singing "G-d Save the Queen" - then you can vent your outrage.
10 - Donnie Marler
Classic Muslim doublespeak. We're innocent, and if we're not it's your fault!
11 - Nancy
To answer your rhetorical questions, YES: all christians must condemn the Aryan Brotherhood; Basques must condemn the ETA, Jews the JDL, Irish Catholics the IRA, and in decency, if they are going to pretend to the world as well as themselves that Islam is a religion of decency & moderation, ALL MUSLIMS MUST CONDEMN TERRORISM & Islamic extremists. There's no way around it and no way out. If you don't, then you support them by your silence. As for issues of outrage, where is muslim outrage against beheadings, slaughter of innocent persons just going about their business, because they're the wrong sect of muslim, or they're christian, or any other religion? I don't hear any muslims expressing outrage against terrorists for those crimes, or for slurring Islam in that manner. All I hear is muslims whining & trying to justify muslim violence. An insult is not justification for murder, violence, blowing up or setting fire to property, etc. Words are just words. Muslims need to get over it, and get over themselves. You all act like the world should spin around you and your wants, likes, & dislikes. Well, it ain't gonna, any more than it's going to spin around me & mine. Start behaving like CIVILIZED, educated human beings instead of 8th-century barbarians and you muslims might start receiving some respect, but I'll tell you right now, you don't get respect automatically; that's something that has to be earned, and thus far muslims have provided mighty little impetus for any non-muslim to give them respect. Contempt, fear, dislike - but not respect.
12 - jamal
Ruvvy, there is a "War onTerror", although it is selective and does not achieve its aims. There is also a "war on the middle east" which is also selective as it allows Israel to have a free reign without punishment for the atrocities it causes.
OBL is overated and 9/11 is no justification for global invasions, just as those that slaughter innocents while shouting Allahu Ackbar are not justified in their actions either.
The double standard is that the more powerful western governments tend to ignore the above and the media assists them in doing so.
The fact is that you wont find a rightly guided Muslim in the west that thinks killing innocents is a test of faith, and would more likely react via acceptable means. Because many non-muslim fail/refuse to acknowledge this is what enables governments to pass the buck.
13 - troll
but what about the wrongly guided folk - like anyone who reads your book without someone around to double-talk away the violent references - ?
(as an equal opportunity insulter I point out that all peoples of the books share this problem)
14 - Al Barger
Jamal, this is false, certainly at least in the way that you say it, "The reality is that people react to that which offends them." Anybody might "react" by writing a letter to the newspaper or cussing the president. But you specifically include violence as part of that, and that's not right. In the civilized world, we try to act in a peaceful manner, and especially try to avoid just crassly blowing up women and children.
Also, civilized folks don't go apeshit and start killing people over nothing. YOUR people are going on killing sprees over a simple beauty contest or a few cartoons. Whereas, did the Christians go on killing sprees when a Muslim actually shot the last pope? No.
This comment of yours was particularly dishonest and worthy of rebuke: "But the fact remains that the atrocities caused via the war on terror is the greater evil." In answer, I invoke a classic comment of William F Buckley. He said something once that if you've got one guy who pushes an old woman out in front of a bus and another guy who jumps out in the street to push an old woman out of the way of a bus, you shouldn't be condemning them equally for pushing little old ladies around. They're not the same thing at all.
Your contrived bitching about other occassional acts of stupid violence is nonsense. Any one random idiot can grab a gun and start shooting, but there's no cultural support for idiots like the Columbine shooters, no financing or infrastructure. Plus, when did the Aryan Brotherhood last get busted trying to blow up a plane full of people?
You can protest otherwise, but in fact you are making excuses for terrorists. This is unacceptable. The shameful violent childish acting out over every little contrived grievance isn't impressing very many civilized folks at this point.
It's not selling. Every act of violence, every plot to blow up an airplane causes more even of our liberal pussies to say "Enough"! We can try to be empathetic, and to take responsibility for the times when we overreact or screw the pooch - but when your people are engaging in acts of barbaric violence with little or no provocation, y'all lose sympathy.
So then, at some point YOU have to decide whose side you're on, the great civilized country you live in, or the barbarians who have assumed the drivers seat in speaking for your tribal relatives. By what you're writing in this column, I unfortunately have to surmise that it's the latter.
15 - Lady Dragonfyre
Jamal:
We can't expect Muslims in Britain not to react when Britain invades Muslim countries and kills thousands of Muslims.
Ok, so here, the Muslims in question are a separate group geographically located in Britain.
Then,
Many will ask how Muslims in Europe have been prevented from integrating into the nations they've joined
So, when Muslims "reacted" violently to the British government's actions, they're a separate minority group residing in Britain who should be expected to fight an oppressive government to avenge their brothers. Then, when a given European country tends to ostracize Muslims within its society, that country is bigoted because it's forcing a group of its CITIZENS into second-class status.
French Muslims cannot portray themselves as a separatist group united by Islam to justify riots against their home country when it suits their cause, and then turn around and cry when French society doesn't recognize them as regular and equal French citizens.
Which hat do you think Muslims should wear? They can’t wear both. If they feel uncomfortable holding secular law over Islamic law, then they should move to a theocratic country.
At any rate, Western European countries are not theocracies. If a Muslim moves to France, and chooses to become a French citizen, he's a FRENCH citizen, not an Islamic citizen. He's bound to the laws of France, not the laws of Islam. Firebombing buildings and killing people is a crime there. Claiming that you're just adhering to Islamic law regarding retribution is not valid.
I think Muslims as a group tend to associate mainly with themselves. Many don't want to integrate because they want to maintain their conservative social values and culture. That's one of the reasons some Muslims remain outsiders in their own countries.
Another reason is that we have to walk on eggshells around you. The slightest thing is gravely offensive to you, and leads to violent riots everywhere. Take the cartoon scandal and the Pope's speech, for example.
While I do not ignore that the atrocities of 9/11 and 7/7 has impacted upon the scrutiny of Muslims in Europe, this is no reason for Muslims in Italy to be refused mosques, or the marginalisation of Muslims in Germany and Moscow, or the discontent of Muslims in France after the riots which was no fault of their own
No? So did OTHER people force the rioters to kill people and blow up buildings?
The thing that really bugs me is that Muslims are free to burn bibles and crosses, threaten the Vatican and Christians as a group with violence, and expect US to apologize.
The Pope quoted a 14th century emperor who believed Mohammed only brought about evil and destruction. In protest of this statement, Muslims held violent riots all over the world, and killed a nun.
Academics, Muslims, and bleeding-heart liberals can rationalize this all they'd like, but actions speak louder than words.
16 - Bliffle
jamal: "The reality is that people react to that which offends them. As Politics is being being used to engineer wars, it is no surprise that some Muslims are responding with violence, particularly when their kin are dying elsewhere in the world."
Wrong. It is a "...surprise that some Muslims are responding with violence". Other people don't do that. Most of us children of immigrants in the US don't bomb and kill even when "...their kin are dying elsewhere in the world."
17 - GJ Klaver
You got it the wrong way around, Jamal.
Muslims are oppressing US.
We, the infidels, are being murdered for not believing in Allah.
Christians, Jews and other religions can be annoying, yes.
But a Christian or Jew didn't decapitate Theo van Gogh.
That butcher was a Muslim and he did it in the name of his Allah.
You didn't answer my question:
If you're so full of your backward faith, why don't you go live in a backward country, where they pratice said faith?
Leave us, atheïsts, alone.
Or you might get the surprise of your life, coming from a normally peaceful group of people.
18 - JustOneMan
Jamal...I say we kill all the muslims and let allah sort it out...
PS - Allah Sucks!
19 - Donnie Marler
Jamal, Until Muslims accept that civilization is not going to regress fourteen centuries to assuage their tender sensibilities the trouble will not end.
You cannot continue to blame everyone but yourselves for the public perception of Muslims and the religion of Islam.
It simply doesnt' wash.
20 - STM
I'd agree 100 per cent with Donnie on that one.
Painting yourselves as perennial victims, Jamal ... it's just getting a bit tiring for the rest of us. I'll agree that one man's terrorist is one man's freedom fighter, but in the context of organisations like al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, one man's terrorist is, well, another man's terrorist.
Mass murder is mass murder, old boy, however much you choose to dress it up as something else.
Looking for reasons why the world's a bit bummed off at muslims? That's the main one, and it begins and ends there for most of us.