It is true, and it is what fuels so many people’s concerns about immigration (mine included).
It doesn’t mean banning Muslims, I have Muslim family members who are perfectly moderate and peaceful.
But we need to have a better system of assessing motivations for immigration, alignment with our values, and a much more rigorous integration programme (language and culture). Of course, Britain has no money, so that won’t happen.
As a result, it is perfectly easy for individuals with extremist religious views to enter this country, lie low, and inflict devastating violence when the time comes to strike.
7/7, the murder of Lee Rigby, Manchester Arena, London Bridge, Borough Market, Fishmongers’ Hall, the murder of MP David Amis, and now last week’s Yom Kippur attack.
I can name those off the top of my head. I would struggle to name a terror attack carried out by any other affiliate group other than the equally tragic murder of MP Jo Cox (by a member of the far right).
8-1. Off the top of my head.
There is a pattern, and we need to be able to talk about and address it. Until we can, we risk the Balkanisation of our politics, with people fracturing across ethno-nationalist lines, which would be dreadful and have unthinkable consequences for our nation (the nation we all, regardless of skin colour, religious belief or heritage, share).