Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 June 2008 10:01:23
It appears from the BBC that Hazel Blears (Communities Secretary) has responded to the criticisms made in the Moral, Without a Compass report by saying "We've got a tiny minority of people in this country who seek to pervert Islam ...that's the reason that we're working with young Muslim people".
Now to me that sounds like a very sensible comment and is what I think is at the centre of some of the more secular legislation that has been aimed at stopping the spread of fundamentalism in this country. If we don't want another 7/7 we need to do all we can to deal with fundamentalism and the disencharntment that can attract people to it.
However what I think the government needs to also remember is that just as there is Muslim fundamentalism there are also a tiny minority of people in this country who seek to pervert Christianity. Re-engagement with rather than marginalisation of Christianity is important because it is when groups and communities percieve themselves as sidelined we see the growth of fundamentalism and extremism. Also it is important that people generally understand what Christianity is really about so groups such as the BNP aren't able to twist it and mix it into promoting their poisonous version of nationalism.