A Double-Edged Sword
‘AMID the condemnation of suicide bombers and Islamic extremism, many might have forgotten the pre-7/7 words of some of our leaders.
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| Ken wanted to hear more about the wonderful public transport in Heaven |
Former LibDem MP Jenny Tonge excited the normally forgiving Charles Kennedy to call for her to resign her then post as the partys children’s spokeswoman when in speaking of Palestinians, she offered the delightful opinion: ‘If I had to live in that situation – and I say that advisedly – I might just consider becoming one [a suicide bomber] myself.’
And just hours after 19 Israelis died and over 40 were injured in a suicide bomb attack on a bus in Jerusalem, Cherie Blair said young Palestinians felt they had ‘no hope’ but to blow themselves up.
But the pick of the bunch was dear old London mayor cuddly Ken Livingstone, who greeted visiting Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a progressive figure who is moving that religion in the correct direction. And that is Qaradawi who, as the Telegraph, tells us today, thinks suicide bombers are martyrs.
But dont worry if you missed his visit the first time round because the paper says on its front page you can catch Qaradawi again as he arrives in the country for a speaking engagement at the Muslim Unity Convention in Manchester on August 7.
According to Mohammed Shafiq, of the Ramadham Foundation, which has organised the event, Qaradawi is a moderate whose words have been taken out of context.
And taking them out of context is what the Telegraph does, drawing attention to the Egyptian clerics comment: I consider this type of martyrdom operation as an indication of the justice of Allah.
But not to worry because the Telegraph says that Qaradawis supporters say their man has condemned the London attacks. Its fine if these martyrs blow up holidaymakers, workers, Arabs and Jews on Israels buses but not Polish women, Muslims, Jews, Christians, City traders and tourists on London transport.
For what David Aaranovitch writing in the Times calls purposes of victimology, young Muslims nursing a grievance blinded by narcissism and seduced by an idealised afterlife can chose which apparent enemy of Islam they want to blow to smithereens.
As it is, we are not on Qaradawis hit list. Which is a relief. Although the Telegraph says that Home Secretary Charles Clarke does have the power to exclude individuals whose presence is judged not to be conducive to the public good.
So he may yet ban Qaradawi. Although, of course, it all depends on which part of the public the cleric is deemed to be bad for Kosovan Muslims, Muslim escapees of Saddam Hussein, dispossessed Muslim Kurds, Muslim Lords, Muslim sportsmen, Muslim women ’
Posted: 19th, July 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
