Conservative Party chair: Islamophobia is now socially acceptable in Britain

[alp227]

Islamophobia has "passed the dinner-table test" and become widely socially acceptable in Britain, according to Lady Warsi, the Conservative chairman.

Warsi, the first Muslim woman to attend Cabinet, is expected to use a speech at Leicester University today to raise the alarm over the way in which she believes prejudice against Muslims is now seen by many Britons as normal.

She will also warn against the tendency to divide Muslims between "moderates" and "extremists", which she contends can fuel misunderstanding and intolerance.

Warsi is expected to say that terrorist offences committed by a small number of Muslims should not be used to condemn all who follow Islam. But she will also urge Muslim communities to be clearer about their rejection of those who resort to violent extremism.

"Those who commit criminal acts of terrorism in our country need to be dealt with not just by the full force of the law," she will say. "They also should face social rejection and alienation across society and their acts must not be used as an opportunity to tar all Muslims."

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/20/lady-warsi-islamophobia-muslims-prejudice

[cleanhippie]

1. I think that what she states is true for ALL religions...

Until believers stand up and loudly CONDEMN the acts of the extremists in their midst, they will ALL be lumped together.

Believers themselves hold the only key that will lock the door against extremists. Everything else is just a temporary doorstop.

[humblebum]

2. Well now. That's certainly one of the most logically deficient statements I've seen

in a while. "Believers themselves hold the only key that will lock the door against extremists." - Yep! them Amish need to be watched REAL close. 'Cuz we all know that all extremists are very religious. It is their problem.
Of course we need to hide the fact that the greatest mass atrocities in human history were NOT carried out by religious types and, in fact, it was by atheists! Hippie, your reasoning and your POV amaze me sometimes.

[darkstar3]

3. Attacking someone else's reasoning and POV while trotting out that same old trope...

I'm beginning to think you have no sense of...well, sense.

[ZombieHorde]

4. Replace the word "atheist" with the word "Jew," and you would sound like Mel Gibson. nt

[laconicsax]

5. +1

[humblebum]

6. When the term "extremism" is made synonymous with "religion", it needs to be

pointed out that extremism is not peculiar to religion, but to humanity - religious and non-religious alike. And that is exactly what the history of organized atheism proves.

[ZombieHorde]

7. "Organized atheism?" You mean Secular Humanists?

Freedom From Religion Foundation?

[Codeine]

8. Since when did atheism get organized?

Shit! Am I missing meetings? Where do I pay my dues?!

[onager]

12. And I'm still waiting for my toaster.

n/t

[cleanhippie]

9. Yet ANOTHER strawman. Do you own the company or what?

Are there "extremist" Amish people? Do the Amish tolerate extremists in their midst?

And I see you continue to swim in your willful ignorance of the true reasons for those events.

[humblebum]

10. So am I to assume you think there is no such person as

extremist atheist? "Do the Amish tolerate extremists in their midst?" And of course the legendary tolerance of atheists is simply taken for granted and never questioned. If you ignore history, you can probably make a case for that.

[TZ]

11. Tell me something

Have you ever studied Jewish history? If you had you wouldn't say such stupidity. Your boyfriend Stalin who you always trot out as an atheist extremist actually killed less Jews than the Czars because of the differences in relgious beliefs. Stalin actually treated everyone the same way, even those who weren't religious he killed. Cause he was a bloodthirsty psycopath. However, Hitler and many others specifically targeted one relgious group or anyone who wasn't part of their little religious cult.
Seriously no atheist has gone around specifically killing only Non-atheists and its dumb and hateful of you to keep making that damn claim. Outside of ethnic targeting, Religious differences have always been a HUGE motivation for genocide. Perhaps you missed Bosnia recently? Oh wait, Christians killing Muslims (which is what those ethnic differences came down to for many) had nothing to do with a religion

[humblebum]

13. You seem to be the one trotting out Stalin. He was only a part

of the organized atheist history. And yes certain groups of people were very much targeted. The one thing that it proves, though, is that extremist tendencies are not restricted to religious groups by any means.