Monday, February 13, 2006

Muslim Defence Council

Why do British Islamic leaders need to comment on the nascent Iraqi abuse scandal?

Incidents like this cause enormous damage to our standing in the Muslim world and also place those British troops who [are] carrying out their duties conscientiously in greater peril. - Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain

Sir Iqbal's intervention implies he is disturbed not because they were Iraqis, but because they were Muslim!

5 comments:

Alison said...

And therein lies the problem. Why are British born Pakistanis identifying with Iraqis also?

Anonymous said...

Because they are muslim first, british second.

but when anyone does the "well fine - go live in Saudi Arabia so" argument, suddenly they spin it around and go "well, we're british , we were born here"

aha - so now you are british first, muslim second , when it suits you.

Anonymous said...

So let me see if I understand how this works.

It was fine for Winston Churchill to come across the Atlantic to our Parliament and the US Congress and go on and on about the "the English-speaking peoples" this and "the British Empire" that, and play on all those emotional ties and strum the heartstrings of ethnic and cultural sympathies to ask for our help, our blood, and our lives when it was Britain that -- and let's be clear here -- wasn't even being invaded but was simply in DANGER of being invaded... but...

...When it's those self-same Britons actually standing in someone else's country and beating the tar out of someone else's kids just for daring, by throwing rocks, to suggest that Huns of any stripe oughta stay home -- somehow, it's wrong for British Moslems to point out how morally repugnant that is? Is that right? The arrogance of the double standard you seem comfortable to espouse is breathtaking.

Snafu said...

Where's the double standard? At no point in 1940 was anyone suggesting that Britain should not fight Germany because it would involve killing Christians living in Germany!

America's support for Britain was limited (lend / lease and the occasional pilot) until Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941, even then America wrestled with it's conscience about supporting Britain. Thankfully, Hitler stepped in and declared war on America, saving Roosevelt a difficult decision.

Anonymous said...

Where's the double standard?

The double standard exists in the fact that it's right on the one hand for someone to not only criticize Germany but actively solicit support in using violence against them, but on the other hand, suggesting it'll illegitimate for someone else to simply express their own concerns for people with whom they identify when their taxes are being used against them. These people have a right to speak out and express their feelings and their distress, and if that troubles you, GOOD! It ought to. That's the very point.