THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Speaking today at the 'Islam and Muslims in the World Today' Conference organised by the University of Cambridge, Conservative Party Leader, David Cameron, will say:
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"I was unable to attend yesterday, but Sayeeda Warsi, Dominic Grieve and the chair of one of my policy group's, Pauline Neville-Jones, were, and have relayed to me some the key issues that were raised.
The need to define our common values.
The impact of modernity on traditional Islamic societies.
And the need to build greater understanding of Islam by others - and of Western society and culture by Muslims.
These are questions that fall under the wide-ranging disciplines of political science, theology, and sociology, but what underpins them all is a question as old as humanity itself: how do we live together?
In this country, there have been times when this question has been uppermost. While conflict between Catholics and Protestant in Britain was bloody, we were spared the worst excesses witnessed on the continent.
The Glorious Revolution and the two Jacobite rebellions were periods of crisis for the coherence of our country. Subsequent Catholic emancipation was a long and slow process, but ultimately successful. The incorporation of East European Jewish immigrants, particularly a 100 years ago, and the Ugandan Asians 30 years ago can also be regarded as successes in integration into a British identity.
Each time, Britain has been able to rise to the challenge and sustain our coherence and unity.
We have done so through a combination of a steadfast faith in our institutions and values, such as freedom under the rule of law, pluralism and tolerance…. ……and because society - not only the majority community but the minority community too - were prepared to stand together as one.
There is no reason to think we cannot do the same today. David Cameron: Islam and Muslims in the World Today (more)
Mark Alexander
