When we look back at 911, followed by the Madrid Bombings, the July 7 London attacks, etc I think we all interpreted them as an attack on The West for supporting the wars in Iraq, etc. We responded by launching a vague War on the noun Terror and invading Irag and Afghanistan. We had ignored the previous attacks, the USS Cole, the Nairobi Embassy bombings, etc and were not greatly affected by the Bali Bombings or the slaying of Theo Van Gogh, or the multitude of attacks that we wrote off as 'lone wolf'. Our eyes were well and truly shut.
What we should have realised is that 911 and all these attacks are not just attacks on press freedom or punishment for involving ourselves in foreign wars, they are attacks on Western Civilisation itself. These attacks are committed to show power, to show a total disregard of Western values and to terrify anyone who may think or trying to hit back.
So we never did have that debate that asked the question "What do they want" as we knew that what they wanted was a caliphate and that was not acceptable. We never answered the problem of "how do we protect ourselves either ?" Sure we introduced some measures such as cockpit security or not flying with sharp weapons etc. But these are just sticking plasters.
Meanwhile we took the view that appeasement was probably the best way to avoid another attack. Even the BBC has stated that their guidelines prohibit any imaginary of the Prophet etc as they do not want to offend Muslim sensibilities. That's why Rotherham abuse went unchecked, because Dennis Shane Ex MP admitted the authorities did not want to offend Muslim sensibilities.
When a sector if society is treated differently to the rest of society because it threatens you then free speech and even the egalitarian application of the law is dead,
Once a sector realises it has that power, their logical response is to try to grab more power. So you see illegal signs in London, telling people that this in an Islamic area and dogs / gays / alcohol / clubbers etc are banned. You have school governing boards taken over, head teachers bullied out of their posts and school funds diverted to schools in Pakistan. We already have Sharia courts. we have already seen the Law Society try to promote the drafting if Sharia compliant wills. It's already legal within Canadian law system. Is that what we I'll adopt next ? Will we be told we cannot keep dogs because they are 'haram' We already have cases taxi drivers refusing to carry Guide Dogs. I no longer buy lamb as the thought of it being slaughtered in such a barbaric way to conform with someone else's belief system sickens me
And so the slow insidious attack on Western freedoms is whittled away by our failure to confront this bigotry because we are scared of offending sensibilities. Or do we really mean that we are scared even terrified of the backlash that enforcing the law might cause?
I was disturbed to read down thread of the teachers account of trying to get through to those bigoted pupils. I as also disturbed that someone who calls their self a moderate Muslim refuses to even countenance any criticism of her religion. In doing so that person has contravened my 'religion', that I too hold dear, which is free speech. it also makes me think that religion that demands no criticism and that dictates that any apostates should be killed is actually a pretty nasty belief system that has to keep even its own believers in fear of retribution from it,
I find it utterly depressing that educated people in the 21st century living in a Western country, cannot see for themselves that benign belief systems have followers who chose to follow them not those who are forced to follow it under great of death. And that is what Islam is forcing me to so - to follow it (no criticism) under threat of my death.
And that is not acceptable and I will not conform to your beliefs
So I wonder if we will eventually be a country in which the daily slayings on the streets of Britain by Islamic extremists are so un newsworthy as to not even make it into the news - as the series if attacks in France In the days BEFORE Charlie Hebdo failed to be reported by the news and were hushed-up as 'lone wolf' attacks or that the perpetrators "mentally ill". All rubbish - all designed to keep as calm, keep us unquestioning. And as I write this there has been yet another shooting and hostage in Paris.
Is that a world that you want to live in our want your children to live in, scared that you'll become a victim of a random religiously motivated killing?
Becauae MI5 said last night that it was impossible to protect us against these sort of attacks. That is a game-changer. The whole point if having Defence is protect Britain and it's peoples. When the authorities admit that you are no longer safe on the streets of your own country then action is long overdue. But no action will be taken because - you guessed it. We don't want to upset sensibilities.
Repeat and rinse.