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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 6-Feb-2011
6-Feb-11 News -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacks 'Multiculturalism' in Britain

Web Log - February, 2011

6-Feb-11 News -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacks 'Multiculturalism' in Britain

Cameron criticizes 'muddled thinking' about Islamist extremism on the left and right

UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacks 'Multiculturalism' in Britain

After the London subway bombings on 7/7/2005, the subsequent investigation found that the bombings had been perpetrated by British citizens, young Muslims who had been influenced by radical Islamist terrorists in Pakistan.

As shocking as that event was, in one sense no one was more shocked than the parents and neighbors of the young men, who generally had no idea what the young men were planning.

Britain has never been able to come to terms with the inherent public policy contradictions illuminated by those events, but now Prime Minister David Cameron is attempting to do so by a major speech on Saturday attacking "multiculturalism."

There are many policies in different countries for deal with immigrants, but in the West, there are two general philosophies, integration versus multiculturalism.

Integration has been followed by France, where public policy treats immigrants as Frenchmen first, who are expected to learn the French language and adopt the French culture, allowing cultural differences only when they don't differ too sharply from mainstream culture. Thus, France has banned the burka in some public places.

Multiculturalism has been followed by Britain, where immigrants must still follow the law, but it's acceptable for immigrant groups to speak their own languages with one another and follow their own unique cultural practices.

David Cameron in Munich (AP)

David Cameron in Munich (AP)

It's worth pointing out that neither policy as been entirely successful. France's policies have led to large suburban Muslim communities and large youth riots in 2005. (See "France's Nicolas Sarkozy says 'Let them eat cake!'")

In Cameron's speech on Saturday, delivered in Munich, he began by sharply distinguishing between the religion of Islam and the ideology of Islamist extremism:

"But the biggest threat that we face comes from terrorist attacks, some of which are, sadly, carried out by our own citizens. It is important to stress that terrorism is not linked exclusively to any one religion or ethnic group. My country, the United Kingdom , still faces threats from dissident republicans in Northern Ireland . Anarchist attacks have occurred recently in Greece and in Italy , and of course, yourselves in Germany were long scarred by terrorism from the Red Army Faction. Nevertheless, we should acknowledge that this threat comes in Europe overwhelmingly from young men who follow a completely perverse, warped interpretation of Islam, and who are prepared to blow themselves up and kill their fellow citizens. ... We will not defeat terrorism simply by the action we take outside our borders. Europe needs to wake up to what is happening in our own countries. Of course, that means strengthening, as Angela has said, the security aspects of our response, on tracing plots, on stopping them, on counter-surveillance and intelligence gathering.
But this is just part of the answer. We have got to get to the root of the problem, and we need to be absolutely clear on where the origins of where these terrorist attacks lie. That is the existence of an ideology, Islamist extremism. We should be equally clear what we mean by this term, and we must distinguish it from Islam. Islam is a religion observed peacefully and devoutly by over a billion people. Islamist extremism is a political ideology supported by a minority. At the furthest end are those who back terrorism to promote their ultimate goal: an entire Islamist realm, governed by an interpretation of Sharia. Move along the spectrum, and you find people who may reject violence, but who accept various parts of the extremist worldview, including real hostility towards Western democracy and liberal values. It is vital that we make this distinction between religion on the one hand, and political ideology on the other. Time and again, people equate the two. They think whether someone is an extremist is dependent on how much they observe their religion. So, they talk about moderate Muslims as if all devout Muslims must be extremist. This is profoundly wrong. Someone can be a devout Muslim and not be an extremist. We need to be clear: Islamist extremism and Islam are not the same thing.
This highlights, I think, a significant problem when discussing the terrorist threat that we face. There is so much muddled thinking about this whole issue. On the one hand, those on the hard right ignore this distinction between Islam and Islamist extremism, and just say that Islam and the West are irreconcilable – that there is a clash of civilizations. So, it follows: we should cut ourselves off from this religion, whether that is through forced repatriation, favoured by some fascists, or the banning of new mosques, as is suggested in some parts of Europe . These people fuel Islamophobia, and I completely reject their argument. If they want an example of how Western values and Islam can be entirely compatible, they should look at what’s happened in the past few weeks on the streets of Tunis and Cairo : hundreds of thousands of people demanding the universal right to free elections and democracy.
The point is this: the ideology of extremism is the problem; Islam emphatically is not. Picking a fight with the latter will do nothing to help us to confront the former.
On the other hand, there are those on the soft left who also ignore this distinction. They lump all Muslims together, compiling a list of grievances, and argue that if only governments addressed these grievances, the terrorism would stop. So, they point to the poverty that so many Muslims live in and say, ‘Get rid of this injustice and the terrorism will end.’ But this ignores the fact that many of those found guilty of terrorist offences in the UK and elsewhere have been graduates and often middle class. They point to grievances about Western foreign policy and say, ‘Stop riding roughshod over Muslim countries and the terrorism will end.’ But there are many people, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, who are angry about Western foreign policy, but who don’t resort to acts of terrorism. They also point to the profusion of unelected leaders across the Middle East and say, ‘Stop propping these people up and you will stop creating the conditions for extremism to flourish.’ But this raises the question: if it’s the lack of democracy that is the problem, why are there so many extremists in free and open societies?
Now, I’m not saying that these issues of poverty and grievance about foreign policy are not important. Yes, of course we must tackle them. ... But let us not fool ourselves. These are just contributory factors. Even if we sorted out all of the problems that I have mentioned, there would still be this terrorism. I believe the root lies in the existence of this extremist ideology. I would argue an important reason so many young Muslims are drawn to it comes down to a question of identity."

This is probably the most well thought out description of the Islamist terrorism issue that I've seen. I can't recall the last time I was so impressed by a speech by a politician.

Cameron then went on to specifically criticize multiculturalism policies in Britain:

"What I am about to say is drawn from the British experience, but I believe there are general lessons for us all. In the UK , some young men find it hard to identify with the traditional Islam practiced at home by their parents, whose customs can seem staid when transplanted to modern Western countries. But these young men also find it hard to identify with Britain too, because we have allowed the weakening of our collective identity. Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and apart from the mainstream. We’ve failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We’ve even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run completely counter to our values.
So, when a white person holds objectionable views, racist views for instance, we rightly condemn them. But when equally unacceptable views or practices come from someone who isn’t white, we’ve been too cautious frankly – frankly, even fearful – to stand up to them. The failure, for instance, of some to confront the horrors of forced marriage, the practice where some young girls are bullied and sometimes taken abroad to marry someone when they don’t want to, is a case in point. This hands-off tolerance has only served to reinforce the sense that not enough is shared. And this all leaves some young Muslims feeling rootless. And the search for something to belong to and something to believe in can lead them to this extremist ideology. Now for sure, they don’t turn into terrorists overnight, but what we see – and what we see in so many European countries – is a process of radicalisation.
Internet chatrooms are virtual meeting places where attitudes are shared, strengthened and validated. In some mosques, preachers of hate can sow misinformation about the plight of Muslims elsewhere. In our communities, groups and organisations led by young, dynamic leaders promote separatism by encouraging Muslims to define themselves solely in terms of their religion. All these interactions can engender a sense of community, a substitute for what the wider society has failed to supply. Now, you might say, as long as they’re not hurting anyone, what is the problem with all this?
Well, I’ll tell you why. As evidence emerges about the backgrounds of those convicted of terrorist offences, it is clear that many of them were initially influenced by what some have called ‘non-violent extremists’, and they then took those radical beliefs to the next level by embracing violence. And I say this is an indictment of our approach to these issues in the past. And if we are to defeat this threat, I believe it is time to turn the page on the failed policies of the past. So first, instead of ignoring this extremist ideology, we – as governments and as societies – have got to confront it, in all its forms. And second, instead of encouraging people to live apart, we need a clear sense of shared national identity that is open to everyone."

Cameron goes on to discuss public policy options. He's particularly critical of showering Muslim organizations with money, "despite doing little to combat extremism. As others have observed, this is like turning to a right-wing fascist party to fight a violent white supremacist movement." He urges evaluating the actions and objectives of organizations that receive public money to determine whether they promote British values.

He says that this must be done within Islam as well. "So let us give voice to those followers of Islam in our own countries – the vast, often unheard majority – who despise the extremists and their worldview."

Other policies that he advances are:

Making sure that immigrants speak the language of their new home.
Ensuring that people are educated in the elements of a common culture and curriculum.
Encouraging meaningful and active participation in society

The speech is critical of "muddled thinking" on both the left and right. It's worthwhile for everyone to read it in its entirety.

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 6-Feb-11 News -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron attack 'Multiculturalism' in Britain thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (6-Feb-2011) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 6-Feb-2011 6-Feb-11 News -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacks 'Multiculturalism' in Britain

UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacks 'Multiculturalism' in Britain

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 6-Feb-2011
6-Feb-11 News -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacks 'Multiculturalism' in Britain