It is interesting to read defenders of free speech wax and wane in recent days following the Home Office exclusion of Geert Wilders. There has been no shortage of commentators eager to remind British Muslims just what free speech means in a democracy and where they can go if they don’t like it. Parallels have been drawn between the Rushdie affair 20 years ago and the present day clashes on speaking and broadcasting incendiary speech.

No surprise then that in scouring around for Muslims to put on a pedestal for the benighted masses Charles Moore should settle for no less than the Quilliam Foundation.

It is not because QF appeal to Moore’s search for a more reasoned response to the Wilders controversy that he opts for it but because he shares with them an agenda on belittling activist Muslims by disparagingly labeling them ‘Islamists’.

‘The beliefs that Mr Wilders is talking about are better described as "Islamism" – the version of Islam which seeks the political, sometimes violent imposition of an intolerant theocracy’, he writes.

Though of course, as an ardent opponent of the incitement to religious hatred legislation that was on the legislative agenda some years ago, and against which Moore wrote an article with the opening remark, ‘Was the prophet Mohammed a paedophile?’, his backing for Wilders is not unusual.

Nor is he alone. Joan Smith over at the Independent on Sunday writes:

‘For a measured Muslim response to Mr Wilders' proposed visit, I recommend listening to Ed Husain, co-director of the Quilliam Foundation, who condemned Mr Wilders' politics and the Home Secretary's refusal to allow him into the country.’

It is paradoxical though not at all unexpected that Smith should look no further into the liberal democratic credentials of Ed Husain. The fact that he champions secularism is enough to satisfy her.

Had she dug deeper she might have unearthed his support for the banning of Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi from the UK and his protest against, in this article in the Evening Standard, IslamExpo. Odd, wouldn’t you say, that on Geert Wilders Husain’s response is ‘bring it on’ and on Sheikh Qaradawi, his reaction is ‘keep him out at all costs’. Such vacillation on free speech won’t do at all.

Perhaps what is most instructive for Muslims looking over the outpourings of the indignant in recent days is the collective identity of those that have held up the Quilliam Foundation as a beacon. They include Martin Bright, whose shift from the New Statesman to Spectator blogs, (home of Melanie Phillips) says it all and whose most recent piece in the Jewish Chronicle asks ‘What makes the Left vilify Israel?’.

They also include Douglas Murray of the Centre for Social Cohesion, whose own liberal credentials are evident in his Pim Fortuyn address in 2006, ‘What are we to do about Islam?’, in which he states:

‘Conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board…’

Others Islamophobes who have come to the same conclusion about the QF include David Toube of Harry's Place, Anthony 'Bring Back Internment to Lock up Muslims' Glees and Nick Cohen.

What the reaction of the QF champions reveals, to its utter shame, is the inability of those that claim to be upholders of the liberal tradition to respect the rules of the democratic game and to not shift the goalposts because the argument in favour of the free expression of secular Muslims cannot be rightfully denied to their activist Muslim counterparts.

The proposition, as it appears from Charles Moore and Joan Smith, and consistent with the QF approach, is that free speech is the right of some, like Wilders, not all, that is, non-QF inclined British Muslims.

Comments

Add New Search

Give Ya Head A Wobble !!   |2009-02-17 18:12:39 An excellent piece exposing the rank hypocrisy of those preaching secularism to Muslim activists, due to their own blatant double standards in opposing Shaikh Qardawi's admission yet championing the same thing for Wilders! Well said, indeed!

AR  - optimism   |2009-02-17 21:28:06 In a way, I'm glad that these recent events have occured - they do nothing but expose the hypocrisy of the hypocrites such as QF and the Islamaphoia mob, hypocrisy and deception behind which they have been hiding for some time. The sane will see it and the blind will ignore it.

Saffy  - good article   |2009-02-19 17:18:46 This is a good round up of the comment surrounding Wilder's recent abortive attempts to enter the UK. Have you read the last Jummah Pulse on UmmahPulse.com? I thought it was pretty comprehensive as well. http://www.ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=484:offence-is-in-the-eye-of-the-offended&catid=22:jumahpulses&Itemid=130

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Website:
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."