UK failure on Islamism and James Foley’s Murder:Clare George-Hilley
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/5178/uk_failure_on_islamism_and_james_foley_s_murder
Leftists who have spent years defending Islamic extremism in Britain, labelling anyone who has raised concerns as bigoted, have been proved wrong. The Left, and those on the Right who cower before Leftist mantras, have much to answer for after James Foley’s murder.
The international outcry over the brutal beheading of innocent journalist James Foley underlines the shameful failure of the United States and Britain to take action over the Islamic State (IS) threat.
It should be no surprise at all that a British Muslim is likely to be responsible for the murder, as several hundred home-grown terrorists have already jumped onto planes, with their UK passports ready to shed blood in Syria and Iraq.
Those on the left, who have spent years defending Islamic extremism in Britain, labelling anyone who has raised concerns about it as bigoted, have been finally proved wrong. Our country does indeed have a very serious problem with Islamic extremism.
From the beheading of British soldier Lee Rigby by two men chanting “allahu akbar” to the Trojan Horse school takeover plot, this evil ideology is engulfing our communities and creating the next generation of UK terrorists.
The situation in Iraq with the Islamic State takeover is now critical, after our elected officials have spent months sitting back, observing the crisis and hoping it will just go away. This foolish and complacent strategy has meant that the IS movement has gained in strength, taking more cities and murdering more innocent people.
I wrote recently of the brutal persecution of Christians and other minorities in Iraq, and even since then the situation has worsened. Iraq and Syria are on the verge of become one single terrorist superstate, with the IS movement proving even more brutal and dangerous than al-Qaeda.
We have all known about this problem for many months now and David Cameron is quite right to break off his holiday and return to Downing Street to co-ordinate Britain’s response. Firstly, our remit needs to move beyond that of delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq.
This vital role must continue but we need to enter military engagement and support the US with airstrikes. Secondly, we should consider limited ground operations to support the armies attempting to hold IS back, even if we are only providing training and advice. Thirdly, we need to look again at the problems of Islamic extremism and its impact on British society.
Our country has fought two world wars to protect freedom, but this liberty is being eroded by an oppressive ideology that treats women as second class citizens, promotes suicide bombings and hatred for British values. We can no longer dismiss this threat as minimal.
It will continue to grow until we meet it head on. We need to orchestrate a fight-back against Islamic extremism in our country and fight it wherever we find it. Failure to do so will mean more British terrorists, more murders and an even greater threat to our national security.
We also need to stand up and make it clear to the government that the persecution of Christians and other minorities in Iraq cannot go unpunished. That’s why I am helping to coordinate the Unity Rally for Stand Up For Mosul along with many other activists in Whitehall next month on the 7th of September, to send a clear message to our elected officials that the time for action is now.
Our country needs to have a proactive role in fighting terrorism and tackling extremism, not sitting back and turning a blind eye to atrocities.
Unless we take action, many more British extremists will be beheading innocent people like James Foley at home and abroad. Our country must not continue down a path where terrorist ideology goes unchecked and our own citizens are travelling on British passports to murder and main in the name of Islam.
Our politicians will only listen if we stand up and make our voices heard. Failure is not an option.
Clare-George Hilley is a Contributing Editor to The Commentator and a former Conservative councillor in Croydon
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