“The British Muslim community need to be more proactive in speaking out against those who promote hatred and violence.”
We’d like that. We’d like that a lot. But all signs point to continued, minimal half-measures made primarily for public consumption when it comes to addressing “extremism” in Muslim communities. The real outrage will continue to be reserved for Pakistani Christian women who so rudely decline to convert to Islam, and for cartoons, and bawdy tweets.
“Muslim councillor receives death threats over blasphemy case,” by Rob Crilly for Telegraph, February 2 (thanks to Twostellas):
Raza Anjum travelled to Pakistan in December and spent three weeks meeting political leaders urging them to release Asia Bibi, a mother-of-five found guilty of defaming the Prophet Mohammed, a conviction that human rights campaigners say is unsafe.
Whose prophet?
In one threatening phone call, which he has reported to police, he was told to “stop supporting Christians or he would be made a terrible example out of”.
He told The Daily Telegraph he had received five violent threats since returning, all from people claiming to be Muslim and speaking with British accents.
“The British Muslim community need to be more proactive in speaking out against those who promote hatred and violence” said Mr Anjum, 25, who sits on Saffron Waldon Town Council.
“I will stand up against these extremists.” The case of Asia Bibi has unleashed dark forces in Pakistan.
Really, all it has done is tear the fig leaf of “moderation” off of the society and its government, putting those “dark forces” on full display.