Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging thinktanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", 2019 parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, "Speedboat", "The Cockroach", eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Tuesday 2 June 2009
Good Old Norman Tebbit
We shouldn't be interfering in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan at all, and certainly not while we still have polygamy, forced marriages and genital mutilation in this country.
Hard to disagree with Norman Tebbitt on this. My own view has been that the "Western World" should enjoy peaceful but MINIMAL relations with the Islamist world. We should neither wage war with them nor kow tow to them in Dubai and Saudi. I might add that I feel the same about Israel. Rightly or wrongly "we" are products of Christendom, the Reformation, the French Revolution, Democracy, the rise of Socialism/Fascism and Womens Lib. For better or worse our Society has been formed by those "experiences". But is there not something missing from the analysis. The exodus of young British Muslims to a madras in Pakistan and returning radicalised (to say Yorkshire) to promote sharia law and oppose Modernity is really no different from young recusant Englishmen going to Douai seminaries and returning radicalised to promote "Catholic law" in say Yorkshire. The late 16th century saw Guido fawkes on the front line in the Netherlands. And the early 21st century sees his successors in Yorkshire rushing to the Taliban.
Now I emphasise I am NOT comparing Catholicism with FUNDAMENTAL Islamism. I am after all a lifelong Catholic attending Mass on a daily basis. I am merely as a lifelong student of History comparing the EFFECT.
Hard to disagree with Norman Tebbitt on this.
ReplyDeleteMy own view has been that the "Western World" should enjoy peaceful but MINIMAL relations with the Islamist world.
We should neither wage war with them nor kow tow to them in Dubai and Saudi.
I might add that I feel the same about Israel.
Rightly or wrongly "we" are products of Christendom, the Reformation, the French Revolution, Democracy, the rise of Socialism/Fascism and Womens Lib.
For better or worse our Society has been formed by those "experiences".
But is there not something missing from the analysis. The exodus of young British Muslims to a madras in Pakistan and returning radicalised (to say Yorkshire) to promote sharia law and oppose Modernity is really no different from young recusant Englishmen going to Douai seminaries and returning radicalised to promote "Catholic law" in say Yorkshire.
The late 16th century saw Guido fawkes on the front line in the Netherlands. And the early 21st century sees his successors in Yorkshire rushing to the Taliban.
Now I emphasise I am NOT comparing Catholicism with FUNDAMENTAL Islamism. I am after all a lifelong Catholic attending Mass on a daily basis.
I am merely as a lifelong student of History comparing the EFFECT.