Legislation by Kite Flying

UK 'extremism' ideas floated to test the waters

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090219/FOREIGN/932941981/1002/rss

UK to isolate hardline preachers

David Sapsted, Foreign Correspondent

"Muslim preachers who do not accept the British way of life are to be targeted by a new strategy to be unveiled by the government next month.

Current proposals, which are being hotly debated by ministers, include branding as extremists those conservative Muslims who, while eschewing violence, maintain that Islam is incompatible with British democracy.

Details of the proposals, known as “Contest 2”, appear to have been selectively leaked to the BBC and Guardian newspaper this week. A well-placed source in Whitehall said in an interview yesterday that this represented “a classic, kite-flying exercise” by a government uncertain over which of the proposals to go along with.

Under the current proposals, British Muslims would be considered “extremist” if they advocated non-participation in UK elections, called for the creation of a caliphate, promoted Shariah and argued in favour of an Islamic ban on homosexuality…."


COMMENT
I have a different take on this, and can only welcome such an approach. The lifeblood of the politician is dialogue and debate, in fact this is all we do – seek to win the arguments. We live or die based on the strength of our ideas. We (HT) do not take or seek public funding, never have, never will. So that clearly doesn’t affect us. If they (UK government) define the views and values you can have – sidelining all outside this narrow remit – I’m sorry but they’ve lost the debate.
The moment you tell the public that they cannot even countenance the notion of opposition to homosexuality, or arbitrarily remove the right of nations that are occupied or attacked to defend themselves – the impact will be the opposite to that sought to be imposed. If they think they can remove condemnation of homosexuality from the Quran, I can only remind them that for 14 centuries people have tried and failed to change the Quran. It just won’t happen. As for this Orwellian thought police – I think the public is a bit more independently minded than to fall for that.
If the British way of life is so good, why do we have hundreds of politicians changing the laws every week in this democracy? I’m sure you will admit that this is appallingly inefficient, no? What if there is something better than democracy? No one should, or even can be allowed to debate that! Isn’t that totalitarianism?
Now anyone daring to suggest that the Muslim world should go back to its Caliphate must be sidelined, ostracized, a McCarthyan outcast. Just what are they afraid of? Is it possible that Shariah law and the Caliphate system of governance actually works.
So whilst I want to win the debate fairly, this type of own goal can only drive people to examine in more detail that which must be so emphatically (and illiberally) banned. I rest my case.

Jamal