Blair et al

So a range of leaders from the British Muslim community met with Blair. They agree with Blair on the need to stamp out extremism. That is a welcome sign. Not so welcome is the fact that, according to Reuters, it was left to Anjem Choudary, the former leader of an fundamentlist Muslim organization, to mention that:

Britain would inevitably be attacked again by Islamist militants if it refused to change its foreign policy in Iraq, the Middle East and Kashmir.

Interestingly, according to this report, one of the Muslim leaders did mention Britain’s involvement in Iraq. I haven’t been able to locate this attribution in any other mainstream sources.

Yet again, the extremists amongst us win important political points because our ‘leaders’ don’t have the guts to tell people like Blair how it is. Sure, it’s not easy (like it is on a blog). And the fear of being marginalised when your voice is already marginal is great. But did we Muslims, does anybody, ever choose the situation we’re in? If we had a choice, would we opt out of getting extra special attention by security guards at airports?

Like it or not, we need to tackle the issues head on. There’s nothing wrong with dialogue with people like Blair. In fact we need more of it. Further marginalisation is not an option. But, as the first lieutenant in the Coalition of the Willing, Blair is heavily responsible for the present situation in Iraq. We must keep him to account.

Choudary went on to say

For us, the main objectives are to work to implement the sharia wherever we are and obviously to support the jihad wherever it is taking place.

When those resentful see that only these lunes have the courage to mention uncomfortable facts about the West's involvement in Muslim nations, there is a greater chance that they will also swallow their Wahabi* preaching. Of course, Muslims have to take responsibility for their own actions like any other group of people. But we also have a responsibility to remind the powerful about what exactly they are doing in places like Iraq, Palestine, and so many other corners of the globe.

* an orthodox brand of Islamic theology