40% Want Veil Banned in Shopping Centres

An online poll conducted by G4S Security Services found that most people were afraid of anti-Social behaviour when they visited shopping centres. When asked what they thought should be done about it 41% voted that there should be a ban on clothing that obscured the face.

And, lest you think that this is the opinion held by neo-Nazis or whatever the Islamists will say, the poll also found that 50% wanted to ban the consumption of alcohol in shopping centres. Hoodies were opposed by 31% and offensive t-shirts by a measly 13%.

In an open country like Britain, covering the face is bound to unnerve others. Even ignoring the security problems of not being able to identify who is behind the veil, British culture is one of openness. The veil signifies closeness. And while we can understand why some Muslim women would want to wear it, they should understand how uncomfortable it makes everyone else. Should the majority be made to feel uncomfortable to accommodate the minority?

Cameron Ideas

The leader of the opposition (and possibly future PM) has spent a few days living with a regular Muslim family to find out what it's like. He makes some conclusions which are cause for concern.

He says that, "Every time the BBC or a politician talks about “Islamist terrorists” they are doing immense harm." But goes on to say that, "Of course it’s impossible every single time to say “terrorists who are following a perverted strain of the true religion of Islam” but if we’re going to use shorthand we have got to do better."

There is a contradiction here. On the one hand he seems to appreciate that the terrorism stems from an ideology and that that ideology is based on an extreme interpretation of Islam. Yet, at the same time, he wants us all to use a different word that would hide that link between the violence and Islam. If we hide the link then we prevent ourselves from understanding the cause and therefore we cannot deal with it.

Any new word will still mean the same thing and therefore is there any point inventing a new word? We should be making clear exactly what "Islamism" means. It is because so many people excuse terrorism as a reaction to foreign policy that the term "Islamism" is not understood. If we were honest in saying that the cause of terrorism is an ideology called "Islamism" and we discussed Islamism openly then there would be no misunderstanding of what the term means. It is precisely because we won't tell it like it is that the term is worrying for Muslims.

One other statement that is cause for concern is the following sentence: "My final thought yesterday was that integration is a two way street." Cameron then went on to explain that Britain has many social problems that are putting people off integrating. Hopefully, he simply means that the social issues need to be addressed because they present problems for Western culture. But, the phrase implies that he might mean that we need to address these issues because some of those who have chosen to immigrate here demand it. The latter would be a boon for the Islamists who would see yet more evidence of the weakness of Western culture and how quickly it will back down if you shout and demand loud enough.

What this country (and the West) needs is strong leadership. We need a Prime Minister who will stand up to Islamist pressure and make it clear that the West will fight for its values and will not be dictated to. David Cameron's statements indicate that he might not be that man.

Political Correctness Stifling Debate

Professor Ted Cantle, a government advisor, has said that political correctness is preventing a proper debate over so-called "white flight". The statement comes because BBC is due to air a Panorama documentary tonight about the issue in Blackburn. (read full story here)

The producer of the Panorama programme said:

We found a great nervousness - people didn't feel able to speak openly about their unease about the way things were changing and about the gulf between the two communities. We were very struck by that. They struggled to find a way to say they didn't want to be taken over. They had no way of expressing it. They were afraid of saying the wrong thing and coming across as racist.

A Home Office spokesman said that the laws only banned speech in which the speaker deliberately intended to cause hatred.

The problem here isn't the laws themselves; it is the perception of them. The climate of political correctness has become so ingrained that people no longer feel able to express their opinions. This situation must be tackled. We need our MPs to be brave enough to speak frankly and openly. Not only will that openness allow others to be open but when people see their politicians being honest and open it may even improve the level of trust between MPs and the public.

However, this requires true effort. When Jack Straw dared to speak openly about the veil he was vilified and many of his colleagues refused to back his right to say what he said. In the end, though, he forced it through and there was some proper debate on the topic. And, what's more, the subject is no longer taboo.

We need more MPs with that courage to talk about other issues.

Lord Falconer Backs Veil Ban

Lord Falconer addressed the annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers in Bournemouth yesterday. During his speech he told head teachers that they shouldn't worry about being prosecuted under the Human Rights Act if they make a reasonable decision to ban the veil.

He referred to the recent ruling that defended Denbigh High School after it banned a student from wearing a jilbab. He said:

The case showed how uniform can be a difficult issue and one where head teachers and the schools' governing bodies have to think extremely carefully. But more than that it showed that common sense and human rights are entirely in line with each other.