Given Tony Blair's other pronouncements about Islam, I doubt that he understands it even now. However, in these new statements he does seem to be at least implying that the democracy project in Iraq was foredoomed, as I have argued since early 2003, because of something about Islam. And certainly he is correct that Western leaders' ignorance of Islam will lead them into policy errors. We are still seeing that happen on a more or less daily basis. "Tony Blair: I did not understand Islam at time of 9/11 attacks," from the Telegraph, August 31 (thanks to Twostellas):
The September 11 attacks represented the declaration of war by a new type of enemy, Tony Blair says.He claims that he quickly realised the implications of the suicide bombers crashing aircraft into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, having heard the news while preparing to deliver a speech to the TUC in Brighton.
Mr Blair says he understood the new war was ideological, but admits that at the time he did not fully understand the history of Islam. He admits he underestimated the "hold of this extremism"....
Here's something that might help... http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-islam.html
"I did not understand Islam at time of 9/11 attacks"
No sh*t! Who did? Basically no one. I never thought about it, ever. Certainly W didn't understand as he called Islam a "religion of peace" only days after the attacks. And of course Islam is the opposite of peace.
The opposite, W. Do you understand now?
He admits he underestimated the "hold of this extremism"....
He still doesn't...The next thing he will be talking about is the minute minority of extremists...
World to Tony:
"hope you had a nice nap....... It's certainly been a log one, almost 60 years........."
He knows as much about mahoundianism as Buraq Hussein does about reducing the size and scope of government...
It was helpful if he could also admit his policies to immigration were hopelessly naïve.
Since his conversion to Catholicism I wonder if he has read any Chesterton or Belloc on this subject?
Nothing less should be expected. He was one of those, who in Hugh Fitzgerald’s phrase “presume to lead.”
By his use of the word "extremism" Blair shows, in the very attempt to admit to his own previous ignorance, that he still doesn't understand or does not wish to state things accurately. It is not "extremism" but rather Islam itself, plain,ordinary, easy-to-understand-by-more-than-a-billion-people Islam, that is itself what Blair continues to misleadingly, and dishonestly, identify as "extremism." This will not do. He is still demonstrating that the mental confusion remains. He just can't bring himself to see things steadily ahd whole. Because if he did, far more than his deep belief in the efficacy of the Iraq venture would be called into question. The entire policy, which he allowed, of continued Muslim migration into Great Britain, and the Labor Party politicians who courted Muslim voters by pretending there was nothing wrong with Islam, and still worse, became indignant with those who dared to disagree --- all this, and more, is part of Tony Blair's record, and that of so many other political figures who have done such damage to their own countries over the past few decades. They deserve to be thought of as we now think of Chamberlain, or Daladier, or others who were appeasers, and who helped prevent policies that might, before it was too late, have stopped Hitler.
I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but I had been warning friends and family about Islam since the early 90s. Until 9-11, it got me nothing but rolling eyes, accusations of "bigotry" and "obsession", and a couple of lost friendships.
This foresight was based I believe on my lifelong study of communism and the totalitarian mindset. It wasn't hard to see through the apologia for Islam, which was everywhere I looked. It wasn't until I found Ibn Warraq's 'Why I'm Not a Muslim' in the late 90s for me to finally have had my views validated.
After 9-11, I suddenly became the guru de jour of my friends/family...as they tried to get up to speed about what Islam was all about. That lasted for about two years, until the politics of the Iraq war and the inability of my circle to do away with their liberal illusions soon had me again on the outside looking in.
That's why I continue to harbor doubts that ANYTHING will awaken the Western public out of its short attention span. The recent surge in traffic at this web-site is a hopeful sign, and there are other indicators that people in the West are shedding their illusions, but civilizational conflict necessitates focus and commitment, and unlike our enemy and their single-minded devotion to their cause, we seem to be easily distracted by the perks and pluralism of our vibrant culture.
A prime example of what I'm referring to was the vaunted unity we achieved after 9-11...which lasted all of a couple of weeks.
"I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but I had been warning friends and family about Islam since the early 90s."
Good for you! You were right, obviously. You SHOULD applaud your foresight! Bravo, Cornelius!
" He admits he underestimated the "hold of this extremism"....
and yet he did nothing to correct UK's woeful immigration policy...
Islam is a Frankenstein religion created out of Judaism by the Arabs. To understand them better you must refer to the Bible, which speaks of ‘stoning to death’ and ‘killing people who refuse to follow your religion’. The difference is: Jews and Christians don’t follow the Torah literally, nor do they believe those archaic instructions need to be followed in modern times. But the Muslims take the same instructions very seriously. Those same instructions, mentioned in the Bible, were follow verbatim by Muhammad and therefore followed still by his followers 1400 years later, in some parts of the world!
I believe Islam is Early Judaeo-Christianity. Read on for just one proof among thousands! Read passage and try to guess where the following passage is from- the Bible or Quran? If you don’t know, I won’t tell you. You Google the first 6-7 words to get the answer. I have made a few changes so that the answer is not obvious:
"When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labour and work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
When ................. (God/ Allah) delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves.
And you may use the plunder............... (God/ Allah) gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.”
For more on my research go to nickmukherjee on tweeter!
Tony suddenly smelled the Coffee???
At the least he realized it wasn't Tea.
Islam is a Frankenstein religion created out of Judaism by the Arabs. To understand them better you must refer to the Bible, which speaks of ‘stoning to death’ and ‘killing people who refuse to follow your religion’. The difference is: Jews and Christians don’t follow the Torah literally, nor do they believe those archaic instructions need to be followed in modern times. But the Muslims take the same instructions very seriously.
I believe Islam is Early Judaeo-Christianity. Read on for just one proof among thousands! Read passage and try to guess where the following passage is from- the Bible or Quran? If you don’t know, I won’t tell you. You Google the first 6-7 words to get the answer. I have made a few changes so that the answer is not obvious:
"When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labour and work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
When ................. (God/ Allah) delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves.
And you may use the plunder............... (God/ Allah) gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.”
Muhammad followed verbatim the above instructions, from the Bible. His followers followed the same instructions for 1400 years during their Jihad through history because Muhammad followed them! Some crazy people, like the Taliban, still do!
For more on my research go to nickmukherjee on tweeter!
All that Tony Blair had to do was read the history of William Ewart Gladstone and see what he had to say about izlam:
Holding up a koran in the parliament he declared,"As long as this accursed book exists, there will never be peace".
Blair may have learned more than he is willing to admit publicly. He has a tremendous ability to speak the English language and articulate his views publicly as few politicians can mimic. Let's hope his learning and reasoning in regards to the war islam is waging against us reaches a level of competency, the future of the English nation and it's admirable culture are at stake as is the future of mankind when extending this understanding to the broader islamic nuclear armament.
Blair, on whole, was an idiot on islam and I see nothing in this statement that indicates anything has changed. Stand with others like Geert Wilders and maybe, just maybe, we will accept your belated and long overdue mea culpas.
I disagree with those who think Blair still does not understand islam. I think he does. With his talent for oratory, just imagine the impact he could make if he chose to 'explain' islam to the ignorant. I'm sure he will never do that because too much is at stake---too many muslims in the U.K., too many ties to the Middle East, too much money tied up in shariah finance, too many deals with muslim tycoons, and of course, oil. What a shame he couldn't have learned about islam before he betrayed his people with his insane immigration policies.
Whether he understands islam or not, he has apparently realized that it is not a religion of peace and if he has a conscience, he should be feeling extremely guilty and ashamed for encouraging the muslim invasion of the U.K.
Chesterton and Belloc should be required reading for EVERYONE, not just Catholics. I often wish those two (esp. GKC) were around now, when I'm frustrated by 'what's wrong with the world' today.
Do not be too harsh with Blair, at least he admits he has learned something. Look a the leadership we have in the US. As a country, we are only starting to see an awakening now, after Geller and Spencer's work, and the Ground Zero mosque issue.
When I learned of the 2012 Olympic site being London, my first thought was security concern.
I cannot get too upset with Tony Blair for his ignorance of Islam (even though for the head of the States ignorance is not an excuse) however, I do despise that slimy former London Mayer: Ken Livingston.
blair and Clinton only knew how to murder Serb Christians, destroy their places of worship, and brutally eradicate Christianity from Kosovo to please the Muslims.
Ruslan Tokhchukov, EnragedSince1999.