INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: LONDON Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday that Britain needed a debate about the position of Muslims, but that the faith also needed to decide how it comes to terms with modernity.Mark Alexander
At his monthly news conference, Blair said he supported a local school authority's decision to bar a Muslim woman from working as a teacher while wearing a veil.
He said, however, that should be just one issue in a broader debate about "the relationship between our society and how the Muslim community integrates with our society." Prime minister says Britain needs debate about Islam
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
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Mark, Thank you for this post. I read TB's statement with great interest. What I fail to understand is that Muslims have steadfastly refused to come to terms with 'modernity' for 1400 years. Unless, of course, TB is referring to the fact that they have bullied, tortured, and killed others until they gave into their wacko Islamic religion and thereby effectively destroyed wonderful civilizations by sending them back into the dark ages (your book, "The Dawning of a New Dark Age" lays out the case for this very well) which is hardly 'coming to terms' with 'modernity'. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe there is one shred of evidence from those 1400 years that Muslims have come to terms with 'modernity' rather they have done their best to wipe out all vestiges of it. So what has TB been smoking? Certainly not tobacco!
You're welcome, USIP!
This is what I'd like to know: What the hell is TB going to do to make these people come to terms with modernity? Sweet Fanny Adams as far as I can see.
What the hell is TB going to do to make these people come to terms with modernity?
Ah ha! But you obviously don't know your man that well; since when has Tony Blair ever done anything except mouth platitudes, a siren song to the people. And just as those sirens of mythical yore, who tried to lure Odysseus and his crew to their doom, so to, those who fall victim to the song of B'liar shall meet their's also.
Tony Blair is no man of action, he is soley about Tony Blair and his grand ego. Tell me, has he not wrecked a nation upon the alter of that ego?
He is one of the very architects of media spin; a dissembler, an obfuscater, a sophist of the first rank. One of the lords of the manor who have foisted the media of propaganda upon us all, for it served their interests so well.
And as one of those architects,I do wonder if whenever he looks at his children, and realises just what a pandora's box he has inadvertantly (or maybe not so) openned, just what passes through his mind; for like the rest of us, he has bequeathed them nothing but pain and suffering. But that of course, presupposes that he can see past the denial, actually I do believe that he does, though totally at a loss as to what to do now. Then again, the dawning of realization of the fact that he is not quite the intellectual giant of his own imagination, must be hard upon an ego as grand as his.
Speaking of T. B'Liar, and architectural accomplishments; while he may not be one of the original founder members of the club, he is certainly one of the current crop of draughtsmen of the multicultural state, or maybe more accurately...non state.
I suspect that this new stance of resolution in the face of Islamic opportunism, is more to do with the realisation of the probable loss of substantial numbers of core party voters, due to their lack of any spine, in the face of serious challanges. After all, weren't Labour, just last year courting the Muslim vote, with sweet blandishments to woe them back into the fold, after the separation brought about by the war in Iraq. No, the populace has become discontented, and the news is slowly filtering up the party hierarchy, hence, some weak and meaningless words... till the storm blows over.
Mark - TB opened his mouth, sounds came out in the form of words, but his words signifiy nothing.
Speaking of architects, although not one of the founding members of the multicultural fan club, Tony Blair has never the less been one of its willing draughtsmen. It was only last year that NuLabour was sending their big guns into Muslim neigbourhoods to woe the Islamic voters back into the party fold, after their flight due to the war in Iraq. Wasn't it Dennis MacShane, singing sweet nothings into their ears, not so long ago.
No, these latest soothing words are just damage control, and nothing more. Time to woe the voters back to sleep.
WOT the 'eck blogger just told me that it eat that second post. Sorry if it sounds like I'm repeapting myself, though I often do.
eleanor, sweet lady, you said in precious few words, what I stumbled through a veritable cabbage patch to say, but I think we see the same man.
It seemed he was almost on the verge of an opinion, thought better of it, then restated the SOS (same old stuff).
For a moment there, I was hoping he had read
America Alone. It is said to portray a very grim future for the UK, as well as the rest of Europe, Scandinavia, etc.
He could also get a copy of this outstanding book, written by a fellow Brit:
THE DAWNING OF A NEW DARK AGE
leelion, yes indeed, hindsight is 20/20 vision, so they say!
To all:
I am reading all your comments with great interest. I am a little strapped for time at the moment; so it is difficult for me to comment on each and every one. However, I should especially like to thank you, HEATHER, for your wonderful comment on my book. High praise indeed! Thank you so, so much.
I shall be back commenting on individual comments as soon as I can. Please bear with me.
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