“Blair shocked ‘bombers’ were British,” from CNN (which did indeed put the sneer quotes around “bombers”), with thanks to Anthony:
LONDON, England (CNN) — Prime Minister Tony Blair has expressed his shock that the four men believed to have carried out last week’s deadly terrorist attacks on London’s transit system were British nationals….
…because he refuses to acknowledge that the ideology that fuels suicide bombing could possibly be taught in British mosques.
“This is a small group of extremists. Not one who can be ignored, but neither should it define Muslims in Britain who are overwhelmingly law-abiding, decent members of our society,” he said Wednesday….
I’m sure many Muslims in Britain are indeed decent and law-abiding. But I see no indication that Blair has considered the implications of the New York Times’ January 2005 assertion that the now-disbanded jihadist group Al-Muhajiroun was Britain’s largest Muslim group.
He told the Commons the government had a four-point plan, in which it would:
“¢ Begin the process of consultation on planned counter-terrorism legislation within the next couple of weeks, with a priority being measures to combat the incitement and instigation of terrorism.
“¢ Look urgently at how to strengthen the process for excluding from the UK those who incite hatred, and make it easier to deport such people.
“¢ Start discussions immediately with Muslim leaders on combating “the perverted and poisonous misinterpretation of Islam” which lay behind the attacks.
“¢ Talk to other nations on how to mobilize the “moderate and true voice of Islam.”
Moderate Muslims haven’t managed to combat “the perverted and poisonous misinterpretation of Islam” or mobilize the “moderate and true voice of Islam” since 9/11. Why not, Mr. Blair? And why will they start now?