The conviction yesterday of the two men responsible for the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich was bound to arouse strong emotions on either side of the debate. In truth though, a quick glimpse at media coverage this morning shows the debate to be reassuringly on the side of the innocent, defenceless victim. Reassuringly but not exclusively on the side of Lee Rigby.
As I always do, I tuned in to the Today programme on Radio 4 this morning and listened to John Humphreys interviewing Anjem Choudray. Mr Choudray is an avowed proponent of an Islamic State in the UK. As a co-founder of the now banned organisation al-Muhajiroun, Choudray has long called for Sharia law in the UK. For fear of boring anyone further with the minutiae of detail, the central point is this; Choudray is in a minority. He is an Islmaic extremist by his own admission and this morning refused to condemn the daylight murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich. Irrespective of his agenda, his refusal to condemn such a vile, inhuman act confirms beyond doubt the extent to which he is resistant to our culture. That is his prerogative. To my mind, the BBC was quite right to let him express his views however odious. The expression of his views will only serve to strengthen the conviction of the general population regarding the UK they want to live in and the culture they want to live in.
Extremism is nothing new and a quick glance through history tells us that while they've always been around, they just don't last. Oswald Mosely was the facist who led the brown shirts in the 1930s. Despite considerable support, the British Union of Facists failed to gain a single seat in Parliament. That was during the great depression. It is frequently at such times that extremists prosper. In recent times, we have witnessed the rise of the British National Party. They too have garnered considerable sympathy in certain areas although they remain reassuringly distant from a first seat in Parliament. It is a sign of the real leanings of UK society that the most recent maiden breakthrough to our Parliament has been made by the Green Party through the efforts of Caroline Lucas in Brighton.
This is not a coincidence. Choudray and people like him can rant all they like but they miss several crucial points. First of all, nobody is even remotely interested in his views so he can take up all the media time he wants but it will not sway people in the slightest because of their sheer indifference. Furthermore, he speaks of Islam against non-Islam. His argument here is based on religion. In this he is badly misguided because the UK has now become a largely secular country. Thus, his aim of creating an Islamic state in the UK is just about as impossible a task as you could feasibly make up. I wish more people today did have a faith but I also accept that for the vast majority, it is not something of any great importance in their lives. Here is the point. In the UK, people have a choice and it is incumbent on the rest of us to respect the choices they make - provided they don't seek to ram that choice down our throats. The latter is rightly unacceptable in UK society.
Choudray argues against British involvement in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. He would surprised if he knew how many British people agree with him. By common consent, the motives of Blair in taking us in to Iraq were dubious. Many would choose stronger words than dubious. Whether or not we are right to have engaged in the affairs of Iraq and Afghanistan is ultimately a matter for the history books. Either way though, we are slowly realising that ours is not to police the world. It never was and it still isn't. The gradual shrinking of our military capability is the inevitable consequence of our realising how our place in the world has changed.
So what do we do about people like Choudary? The knee jerk reaction would be to advocate the death penalty or life imprisonment. These or similar reactions would only play right in to his hands. As vile as he is to the vast majority, we must not fall in to the trap of descending to his level. If we espouse democracy and free speech, we must bite the bullet and afford him his say. It does not follow that we must listen or agree with him.
As we enter the countdown to the Christian festival of Christmas, let's remind ourselves what it's all about. It is a time of hope and a cause for great optimism and happiness. Even if you don't have a faith, it is a time for family and friendship. This Christmas, spare a thought for the less fortunate people in your lives and remember the family of Lee Rigby who will face a Christmas they didn't ask for and didn't deserve. Choudray can achieve one very important function. He can strengthen the resolve in all of us to remain firm and remember the code by which we all live. As the United Kingdom, we must stay United and cherish our democracy warts and all.
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