Yesterday evening, the PM Rishi Sunak stood outside number 10 and gave an unexpected speech in which he voiced his concerns about the growing menace of extremism.
The speech was full of dire warnings but no concrete proposals for dealing with the issues of Islamism and far right groups. Which far right groups he might have had in mind wasn't made clear, but there are none which pose a threat that matches that of Islamism.
Sunak said;
Now our democracy itself is a target. Council meetings and local events have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Long standing Parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns.
Each of those issues arise from the activities of pro-Palestine campaigners, many of whom have celebrated the actions of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group. Looking back over the last twenty years name virtually any terrorist attack in Britain and Europe and it will have been undertaken by Islamist terror organisations or adherents of the religion of peace. It is quite apparent where the real problem lies.
Whether his speech will make any difference, only time will tell. I am not however overly optimistic.
The furore concerning Lee Anderson's comments continue but still the problem that lies at the heart of the issue is not mentioned. Nonetheless, some backbench MPs, both Labour and Conservative, are so concerned about their safety they have been provided with bodyguards.
Following the chaos in Parliament on the 21st, Suella Braverman has voiced her belief that Islamists have taken over Britain. Yesterday, another Tory MP, Lee Anderson disagreed. He said they hadn’t taken over Britain, but Islamists had captured Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. Naturally he is accused of racism and Islamophobia, but perhaps now we are getting to the point where those in positions of power are prepared to openly accept there is a problem with radical Islam.
Or maybe not. Anderson has been suspended by the Tory party. His intervention may have been less than subtle, but rather than discussing the real problem, namely the growing menace of Islamic fundamentalism, they decided to shoot the messenger.
As well as Paris, there was another terrorist attack on Sunday, this one taking place in Marawi in the Philippines. A Catholic Church, with people attending Mass, was the target of a bombing, which killed at least 4 and injured 50 others. Today Islamic State claimed responsibility. The attack caused barely a ripple in the MSN.
When the teacher Samuel Paty was murdered in France, we were told he had brought it on himself. What did he expect, they said, showing those terribly insensitive cartoons? When the next attack occurred, this time in Nice, some commentators explained the act was un-Islamic, but France had to pay for the crimes of colonialism.
Now the attack in Vienna, and I am left to wonder what is it the Austrians have done to offend Islam? Perhaps they remain upset that the Austrian capital stood as a bulwark against the invading Ottomans in the 17th century, and prevented Europe being overrun?
Despite what the apologists might say there is of course no justification for this or any of the other earlier attacks. What we are seeing is an assault on European values, a war being waged against our society by groups of Islamists who are offended by our laws, our culture and our way of life.
The Islamists pose a greater long term threat to the stability of Europe than the coronavirus, and this assault on our society cannot be allowed to continue. President Macron is reported to have promised after Paty’s murder to crack down on Islamist extremism, including shutting down mosques and other organisations accused of fomenting radicalism and violence.
The nations of Europe should follow the President's lead and root out this evil.