Tunisia: How UK’s “Not Islam” Narrative Helps Terrorists : Robin Shepherd
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/5945/tunisia_how_uk_s_not_islam_narrative_helps_terrorists
We’re going to keep this simple and short, because the message just doesn’t seem to get through.
In the wake of the horrific massacre by an Islamic terrorist of (mainly British) holiday-makers on a beach in Tunisia, UK Prime Minister David Cameron came out with a line we have heard from him, Barack Obama, France’s Francois Hollande, Australia’s Tony Abbott, and so many others in the wake of Islamist mass murder.
This is what Cameron said just after news of the massacre broke: “This is not in the name of Islam; it’s a perverted ideology and we must fight it,”.
We have made the point many times about Mr. Cameron’s qualifications to speak about Islamic theology — he doesn’t have any. In any case, it’s idiotic to say it’s not in “the name” of Islam, because the people who do such things are quite explicit that they are doing it precisely in “the name” of Islam.
So let’s just say that he means well, and that he’s pushing the “virtuous lie”. Get your Plato out.
But before you do, consider this: what are wavering radical Islamists in Britain and other Western countries going to do with such a statement?
Here’s a though experiment. Imagine you are one of those waverers. You hear the British prime minister saying that slaughtering people is not Islamic. You have read quite a bit of the Koran, so you know that there are both peaceful and violent injunctions within it.
As someone who already has radical tendencies, you go to your radical Imam. “What’s all this about, then”? “David Cameron says this is against Islam?”
Stay with the thought experiment. The Imam, with a knowing smile, says: “Don’t take my word for it, see this verse, and this one, and that one, and this one, and that one over there. They all allow for Muslims to kill Infidels, en masse, if necessary. So, my boy, do you trust David Cameron’s words, or the words of the Prophet in the Holy Koran?”
If you doubt that such verses exist — and indeed have profound significance in the Koran and other Islamic teachings — see the writings of our contributor Raymond Ibrahim, a native speaker of Arabic and top scholar on such matters.
Now, back to the thought experiment: what is going to be the net result of Western leaders’ insistance that, “this is not Islam”?
The following: The young, potential radical now totally distrusts the Western political establishment, which has simply lied about the situation. Simultaneously, the radical Imam seems even more impressive than he did before: he knows the truth, and he can prove it.
Our leaders in the West are right not to pander to hatred of Muslims. But in denying the hard fact that mass terror can indeed be justified according to Islamic texts, they are making terrorism more likely, not less. Just capture the facts, and apply logic. Or is that too much to ask?
Read more on: islamofacism, Islamic state, islamophilia, causes of Islamic extremism, and tunisia
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