Response to commenter Dean Major's 'Jihad in Britain'

Submitted by L. Richardson (United Kingdom), Apr 14, 2005 at 09:47

I feel I should state here, on behalf of the majority of the British population, that the views expressed in Mr. Major's contribution are shared only by a small enclave of fearful backward-thinkers. This parochial, 'make them all go home' mentality jars uncomfortably with most people, and rightly so. Mr. Major, why object to change and multiculturalism on grounds of purity when, after all, the British (Americans too, for that matter) have never been a pure race?

And why state your case in the interests of a moribund religion that you admit has little relevance to you? No one is going to force you to convert to Islam, and the fact that a minority has chosen to misinterpret parts of the Koran in support of a militant ideology is not cause for anyone to make sweeping judgments of Muslims en masse.

I'm sure most Muslims wholly disapprove of the violence perpetrated in the name of Islam and have no interest whatsoever in proselytising the world. As I understand it, the Koran sanctions violence only in DEFENSE of Islam; terrorist factions are an aberration.

It is possible, even likely, that members or supporters of these factions are resident in Britain, but would it not be better to approach the issue with an open mind and a view to understanding, rather than immediate mistrust and fear? It is a case of the few ruining things for the many, just as a few bigoted British are capable, in their officious opining, of misrepresenting the rest of us.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".