I’ve never been a believer in Ed Husain. He founded the Quilliam Foundation, the enormously influential “moderate Muslim” group in the U.K. At the time of Quilliam’s founding, Husain went out of his way to launch a gratuitous attack on Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ibn Warraq and me. At that time I had been quite interested to determine whether Quilliam was really the sincere reformist organization it claimed to be — but this unexpected and unwarranted attack made me doubt it immediately. I know Ayaan Hirsi Ali (a Somali ex-Muslim) and Ibn Warraq (a Pakistani ex-Muslim) personally. I know their work quite well. I know that neither is a “racist” or a “bigot,” just as I know that I myself am not one either. I know that they’re deeply concerned about how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and supremacism, as I am, and want to preserve Western pluralistic societies with their freedom of speech and equality of rights for all people, as I do.
So what does that make Ed Husain? Well, in this present case he is telling the British government that they better not seize jihadis’ passports, because that will only fuel the perception that true Muslims are unwelcome in Britain, since the jihadis consider themselves to be true Muslims. What the U.K. needs to do, Husain says, is de-radicalize the returning jihadis.
De-radicalization programs have been implemented elsewhere, notably in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Let’s look at how they fared. From the Jihad Watch archives:
11 ex-Gitmo prisoners flee the Saudi “rehabilitation program” and join up with terrorist groups
Jaw-dropper: 25 former Gitmo detainees “return to militancy” despite Saudi rehab program!
Flight 253 jihadist wasn’t cured by Saudi anti-jihad art therapy
Former Guantanamo detainee now top al-Qaeda ideologue — “He was transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2006 where he was placed in a national rehabilitation project.”
Indonesian government admits that its jihadist rehab program is a failure
This is a high-stakes game. When de-radicalization programs fail, the failure manifests itself in a jihad attack, and the deaths of human beings. Ed Husain is asking the British government to depend on an approach that has never worked, in an arena in which any failure could result in British citizens being murdered. Whereas, if jihadis’ passports were seized, some Muslims may be angry, but a lot of Muslims are already angry. Any Muslim in Britain who becomes a jihad terrorist because other jihad terrorists were not allowed back into the country was already a jihad terrorist.
Ed Husain is asking the British government to roll the dice on the lives of its people. A high-stakes game indeed. I think Ed Husain is not the only “moderate” who will be showing his true colors in light of the advent of the Islamic State.
“Ed Husain: Taking passports would only raise the jihadist threat,” by Ed Husain, London Evening Standard, September 2, 2014 (thanks to Mirren10):
I speak with politicians around the world about the Middle East and terrorism — yet very few understand the depth and breadth of the challenge facing us. Thankfully, David Cameron not only understands it but has shown vision in identifying the ideology and narrative that supports terrorism.
Yet his government has done very little about tackling the mindset that produces British citizens who wish to become jihadists, abroad or at home. The PM has the right instincts and attitudes but the wrong advisers and civil servants surrounding him.
Nice people who work at the Home Office, career civil servants who want a quiet life, do not have the stamina for an ideological fight against extremists who wish to die for their beliefs. Worse, our civil servants simply do not understand the potent mix of warped theology and political ideology.
Ain’t that the truth. They’re forbidden to understand it; if they do, people like Ed Husain will call them “racists” and “Islamophobes.”
Against these odds, Cameron has floated the idea of confiscating the passports of British subjects fighting abroad and forcing others to undergo de-radicalisation programmes. It is hard to forcefully change someone’s mind, but it is worth the effort. That does not worry me. But the removal of British citizenship does.
Those who swear allegiance to an enemy state or entity such as the so-called Islamic State do not deserve the honour of being a British national. Morally, this is the right approach. But legally the Government could be on very shaky ground — as ex-attorney general Dominic Grieve warned yesterday, concerns amplified today by the official reviewer of anti-terror legislation David Anderson QC. The PM seemed tacitly to acknowledge this by failing yesterday to set out concrete proposals on this measure.
But even if the Government succeeded legally, there would be a worse unintended consequence. Strategically, this could raise the stakes for domestic terrorism. Often the most hardline Islamists are non-violent here because they believe Britain offers them an aqd al amaan, a “covenant of security”. They justify fighting other governments abroad because no such agreement or covenant exists. By removing their passports, in their minds we remove their covenant. They would justify attacks on UK interests abroad and target the British isles on the grounds that the Government has now nullified the aqd al amaan.
This would add to their recruitment drive. They would say: “True Muslims don’t have British passports. You are a sell-out and have compromised with the state if you have UK nationality.”
In trying to reduce the terror threat, is the Government unwittingly increasing it? Not every jihadist who fights in Syria wants to fight here in England. By removing their passports, we would risk making them and their supporters here in Britain combatants against our country.
It is wiser to prosecute them, detain them, de-radicalise them. Ours is a culture built on the rule of law— that fundamental principle must not be compromised because a ragtag army threatens us.
Winning the long-term battle of ideas against Islamist radicals is the only solution. Muslim and other communities are in dire need for support to defeat the ideology that produces terror. This Government has yet to support that battle. And time is not on our side.
Jovial Joe says
He is advocating that the British government grant a safe haven for jihadists from where they can launch their murderous attacks on innocents abroad. That in itself constitutes incitement to violence and he should be arrested for it.
Ariella777 says
Obama is a Muslim, revealed by many truths. This is why he is against America and desires to destroy it.
IQ al Rassooli says
Ed Husain is as ‘moderate’ as Osma bin Laden.
While Osama was at least truthful in publicly declaring his total belief in Islam, Ed and all so called ‘moderate’ Muslims use STEALTH JIHAD (Taqiyyah) to undermine both the resolve and to deceive Quran ignorant people into believing that there is ANY moderation in Islam
I believe in proving my statements with Quranic sources~
Al Tauba 9:29 “Fight [qatiloo] those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His apostle [Muhammad] nor acknowledge the religion of truth [ISLAM] (even if they are) of the People of the Book [Christians & Jews] until they pay the Jizya [onerous Tax for not being a Muslim] with willing submission and feel themselves humiliated”
*** Just to make sure that the readers would believe what I am revealing, I would like to put forth a challenge worth $100,000 to the first person who can show us all a SINGLE OPERATIVE verse in Muhammad’s Quran that demonstrates any Compassion & Mercy to all UNBELIEVERS!
Currently, Unbelievers represent 80% of humanity: All Christians Buddhists Hindus Jews Atheists Agnostics etc. That is any and all those who are NOT Muslims! $100,000 for just ONE verse from among over 6200 verses in Muhammad’s Quran!***
Ed Husain – like his mentor Muhammad 1400 years ago and all current followers of Muhammad – is a Pathological Liar dressed in Western clothing and pretending NOT to know Muhammad’s Quran
Would love to debate him LIVE anywhere
IQ al Rassooli
Kafir & Proud!
Beagle says
Your 100K is safe. I’ve read it. There is nothing like the many love verses in the bible, for example. Islam has a dual track morality for Muslims and non.
Don McKellar says
It is a concept which only works in very few, very public cases. A tiny handful of people have been “turned” to conduct themselves as modern, civilized human beings. There is one who shows up on CNN from time to time whom I can’t fault. I wish I could remember his name. Anyways, he talks about some imam virtually kidnapped him and who refudiated everything, passage by passage, and put them in context with the times they were written and how they are realistically to be interpretted in context to the modern world.
It sounds like bullshit, but at least this guy always comes across as a reformed muslim jihadist who is not dangerous any more and I can’t find fault with him when he makes statements.
What is his name? Does anybody know who I am talking about? Have I been fooled and he’s a different guy when not doing his CNN spots?
kikorikid says
Yes, You were “Fooled” and remain so.
Don McKellar says
what is this guy’s name?
Don McKellar says
I guess I was most convinced by him because he did a great job explaining the “angry young man” syndrome and feeling of empowerment and of being part of “something bigger than oneself” that draws in all these guys to ISIS. That’s what suckered him in back when he was a jihadist, and it’s the same now with the new recruits.
pumbar says
Are you talking about Walid Shoebat?
Jay Boo says
not sure if he is Muslim but
might it be this guy caught for plagiarism
Fareed Rafiq Zakaria
http://rt.com/usa/time-cnn-zakaria-plagiarism-404/
Don McKellar says
No, it’s not that conman. He’s pretty obvious. This guy is younger.
Jay Boo says
These Islam is peace lobbyists make up sordid roster of moderate Muslim imposters.
tpellow says
“Ed Husain and me”
By Melanie Phillips,
(2009).
http://cifwatch.com/2009/11/01/ed-husain-and-me/
Wellington says
Again can be seen that so-called moderate Muslims give far more cover to Islam than so-called radical Muslims ever do. Well, Islam deserves no cover at all. Anyone doubting me should postulate the worth of moderate Nazis back in the 1930s making excuses for radical Nazis.
jewdog says
Every jihadist group wants the same thing: Universal application of Islamic law, by force if necessary. This is the common core jihadist curriculum, grounded in Islamic doctrine. The practical impossibility of actually carrying it out makes coercive means through warfare or terrorism inevitable, since very few people would voluntarily submit to Sharia. Therefore, “de-radicalization” is fundamentally about disabusing believers of this core tenet. Yet, for years now, going back well before 911, I have yet to hear a single prominent Western leader openly discuss, evince understanding of, or denounce this important belief as it relates to Islamic teaching. The conclusion must be that if something is not understood, it cannot be opposed effectively, and that relying on the government for “de-radicalization” would be foolhardy.
Beagle says
This is my bare bones outline of everything I have learned about jihad after almost 14 years:
All jihad, heart, pen, tongue, and sword, is to make Islam the only religion, sharia the only law, and Muslims the only rulers in the entire world.
There are hundreds of ayats and ahadith quotes which back up that summary, but JW readers already know them.
Jay Boo says
Before Muslims accomplish that, they must pretend that Muhammad’s Islam is a religion.
jewdog says
If we had President Beagle I would retract my statement about our leaders’ not understanding Islam, but I’m afraid that you are just another dog in the kennel.
Michael Copeland says
It is worth repeating:
“De-radicalisation” is a joke. It is defined in the government’s “Prevent” strategy (a free download) as:
“usually …activity …intended to effect …change”.
Note that this does not include any result. If the “activity” happens with the due intention that is all that is called for. If it does not happen, well, that is the less “usually”. Here it is:
“De-radicalisation usually refers to activity aimed at a person who supports terrorism and in some cases has engaged in terrorist related activity, which is intended to effect cognitive and/or behavioural change leading to a new outlook on terrorism and/or disengagement from it.”
This “activity” will, of course, require taxpayer funds (jizya).
Richie says
In other words, if passports are taken away from Muslim Jihadists, they might kill- and if they do, it will be our fault
There we go again. Muslims are ALWAYS crying victim
dumbledoresarmy says
Yep.
Ed Husain just issued a not-so-very-thinly-veiled THREAT.
Beagle says
I agree, don’t sieze their passports. Behead them all with a bastard sword and stake their heads on pikes around London.
Sort of joking, a little.
sujith says
In a way he is Right .
Why force them to stay in Britain ? to kill British citizens ?
Deny citizenship and deport them permanently
Bezelel says
I do have a sure fire,works every time plan that would “de-radicalise” all the jihadi’s returning to the UK.
cliffface says
Bezelel not only is your plan the most intelligent but it is also the most economical.
Shame those with the power to enact it just refuse to admit it is the best solution.
Just give it time as the voices of the people go from a whisper to a roar.
Bezelel says
Treason is still on the books, any bets on holder enforcing it?
voegelinian says
In addition to Spencer’s rather overly cautious suspicion of the Quilliam snakes who should be roundly & robustly condemned in Breibartian manner, we also know (or should know) that the Quilliam Foundation is founded on a British convert to Islam in the 19th century, William “Abdullah” Quilliam. As Andrew Bostom reported nearly a year ago:
Quilliam protested Britain’s response to the bloody Mahdist jihad in the Sudan, admonishing Muslims … that any support whatsoever of “infidel” British soldiers was “contrary to the Sharia.” A month later … Quilliam made plain his own aggressive, Pan-Islamic Caliphate dreams, denying national boundaries, “Among Muslims none should be known as Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Ajem, Afghans, Indians or English. They are all Muslims,” and proclaiming, “under the standard of the Khalifate [Caliphate], let us unite there, one and all, and at once!”
http://gatesofvienna.net/2013/10/introducing-w-h-abdullah-quilliam/
fair_dinkum says
oh Ed 🙂
tell us what WON’T increase jihad threat.. please.
mortimer says
Indeed! Hussain is admitting that the jihadists represent real Islam. By throwing them out, they will get REALLY MAD!
We mustn’t upset those who go to other countries to blow things up and behead, because they might do it in UK!
Come to think of it, they already DID blow things up and behead in UK!
So just give them free airfare to ISIS or Turkey and revoke their passports.
Good riddance.
Giovanni says
May be he forget 7/7, Glasgow airport, the killing of a innocent soldier in day light in Woolwich, and many other bad things they did or try to do. Maybe Ed Husain has a short memory.
Mike says
Who is going to run the de-radicalisation program? Anjem Choudhery perhaps, on a generous government grant. Why not just recognize the Islamic state, encourage all Muslims in the West to migrate and live under the exhilaration of their sharia and caliph, then cancel their passports. This would solve any legal problems of “statelessness” that is worrying academics, civil libertarians and legal advocates.
Joe Murphy says
>> Seizing jihadis’ passports would only increase jihad threat
This has taqiyya written all over it. Do not trust the ‘moderate’ Muslim Quilliam Foundation.
Brazooka says
A medicine-based approach has been proven highly effective in the deradicalization of Muslims. The treatment consists of a single 12 -gram dose of Pb injected through the skull via a Colt-brand applicator. Incidentally, the treatment has been shown to be equally effective in curing habitual disingenuousness of the kind presented by Ed Hussein.
Green Infidel says
“But legally the Government could be on very shaky ground…”
On this, I fear he may have a point… what would the EU, for one, have to say about such a move? And then the legions of Britain’s very own “human rights” lawyers? Given how hard it was to arrest, hold and extradite Abu Hamza, could such a move not drag out for years??
tpellow says
“Jihad of the Pen and Tongue from Within the West”
By Hugh Fitzgerald
(2010).
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/42830
Robin Rosenblatt says
Many Americans know a “Good Muslim” But they are wrong they know a “Bad Muslim” a Bad Muslim is a human. A “Good Muslim” would be following Sharia Law, killing and raping you. Islam in America is weak once it becomes strong many Bad Muslims will be become Good Muslims. Bill Warner, Center for the Study of Political Islam.
“The Hebrew Bible has 5.6% of political violence; The Islamic Trilogy Koran, Sira and Hadith have 31% political violence. “The words devoted to political violence in Islam 327,547; the Bible 34,039″ The Political violence of the Koran is eternal and universal. The Political violence of the Bible is for a particular historical time and place.” Bill Warner, Center for the Study of Political Islam.
Old African lady with no teeth says
Robin Rosenblatt,
“The Hebrew have 5% of political violence” but I never ever hear Jewish person ever blow up themselves or forcing other people to their belief, they are peaceful people even the Orthodox are peaceful, often they are in to justice and Christians are in to love. The Christian Bible teaches, love, compassion, forgiveness and bringing people together. I don’t know what Bill Warner is talking about. And the other group 327,547 is not the correct number, did he counted for himself? I am fed up when people say it is only 5% of their population. No, it is not it is hell a lot more then that.
Robin Rosenblatt says
There are no moderate Muslims. There is no such thing in Islamic culture. Americans must stop put their values in Islam. We are not the same!
Islamic Culture is reverse of Western Culture. The normal people are the Extremists and the Violent people are the normal or the majority.
Robin Rosenblatt says
Correction:
There are no moderate Muslims. There is no such thing in Islamic culture. Americans must stop putting our values in Islam. We are not the same!
Islamic Culture is reverse of Western Culture. The normal people are the Extremists and the Violent people are the normal or the majority.
Nina says
Off course he will say that to fool us, he want the British non Muslims to get hurt. He knows that they wouldn’t harm him because he shares the same faith with them. I don’t like people like this, the only thing they care about is terrorists not the safety of innocent hard working families in Britain. If this guy wants Muslim radicals to come back he better buy an Island somewhere far from Europe and build a big house and invite them to live with him. We don’t want them back they are way too dangerous, imagine having this kind of terrorists coming back from overseas and start living the council flats near the community and shopping the same super markets with people? it is just too dangerous and security services wouldn’t be able to watch 24/7, who could watch al the time Abdul Albakaka Abu Kunt, Fatim Albaba, Hamis abu Hamza, Baba Ganush al fahwa, Makailke Abu Britania? it is just not a good Idea to have them back, they should stay where they are. Thank You.
ECAW says
This is a quote from the December 2013 Government report “Tackling extremism in the UK”:
“Appropriately recruited Muslim Prison Chaplains are already employed to challenge the extremist views of prisoners and to provide religious direction for Muslim prisoners. Using their experience, they are developing the ‘Ibaana’ [ie “clarify”] programme designed to target the small number of prisoners with the most entrenched extremist views. One-to-one sessions over several hours with a trained chaplain will be used to challenge the theological arguments used by these prisoners to justify their extremist views.”
Not surprisingly, There have been forthcoming no written details of the appropriately recruited chaplains’ theological grounds for countering extremist views nor any figures for success rates. However, I did see an article a while ago, but unfortunately did not keep a copy of it, saying that the civil servant in charge of selecting these chaplains had been sacked for being an Islamist and hiring Islamist imams.
Michael Copeland says
These are the muslims returned from Iraq and Syria.
This is the threat that is posed by the muslims returned………
These are the streets where the threat is posed……
These are the armed police who’ll patrol the streets…..
This is the house that Blair built
NDB says
So… this sounds nothing short of a threat. Never heard one the so called leaders come out with a wholesale condemnation of the blood lust covert or die option or the plan to wipe the Jews from existence. Moderate Muslims?… just a mass of Manchurian Candidates waiting for the queen of diamonds to come down and dance.
Jaladhi says
This guy is a total liar. It seems every actin of ours just enrages Muslims and they will commit more terrorism. What bundle of lying nonsense. Not only should the passports of these traitors be confiscated, the passports of all of their family members be confiscated. Ask Hussein is there any action by us that does not provoke Muslims?? He will not find any!!
Iréne Berglund says
Some years ago I wanted to find that “modern islam” compatible to European way of life. I had some muslim friends, from Egypt and Algeria, and they told me that I had no reason to be scared. I had read the Quran and wasn’t that enthusiastic afterwards.
I came across Tariq Ramadan, well educated man living in Switzerland a self-proclaimed Mr. Islam Light. I’ve read a lot about him and seen him in many debates. My favourites against Christopher Hitchens. He has also been called the man with a split tongue. How come I think of Tariq Ramadan when reading about Ed Husain?
R Cole says
Is Ed Husain applying for a job?
He said he spoke to leaders in the Middle East who don’t seem overly concerned — maybe because they are behind the proliferation of the ideology.
Of which western leaders, must do more to defeat.
[Who’s a True Muslim!! ~ Parrot joke]
He is very careful about what he is saying – because technically – it is a threat.
Take their passports away ~ and we don’t know what our young people might do.
But it could be… allow Muslims to implement Islamic law/aspects of ~ otherwise this might invite unintended consequences.
:: ::
In his plan he hopes to parade deradicalized jihadi fighters around like reformed addicts ~ I used to believe in violent jihad but I’ve now not taken part in it for 3 years.
The Left would love it!
But in reality – the biggest success had in bringing these men off the battlefield – was where they changed their mind themselves.
:: ::
This Islamic hand holding – that Ed Husain advocates – is what the Islamic state/ Saudi Arabia/ you name it – is all about. The belief that the Muslim person should be entirely bound by this creed.
That to be deradicalized he must – under a western government scheme – be bound so – but in other ways – by Islam.
It is another form of control – a mental crutch – that perhaps would be better if Muslims were free of.
At the very least – they should not expect that the world will be one day hobbling around on it.
Ralph says
All of you Muslim Idiots will Burn In Hell.
Halwi Farisout says
This people are not run away teenagers who rebelled from their families and went the desert, they didn’t go to the desert to party or handle sweets they went there as adults to fight and support the rebels in Syria and Iraq. They had a choice and they choose to leave their comfortable homes in Britain to fight and support Al Qaeda. Who is killing all those Shia and Christians in the Middle East? I am sure IS wouldn’t be where they are now with out this kind of people travelling to help them. And Yes Ed Husain I support Assad because he saved a lot of Christians in Syria. I know you don’t like him because of this but I do. Long life to Assad, may he stay Syria for ever to be a president.
Elisheva14 says
He is as moderate as Abbas is one. They are deceivers who support Jihad.