Murphy's letter from Edinburgh

 

Reid was right with Muslims

Our Home Secretary John Reid decided to engage with the Muslim community yesterday by having a meeting in London and talking with them.  He outlined his plans and asked Muslim parents to keep and eye on their children and to make sure that they were not radicalised or led astray.  I decided to watch the full speech because it is relevant in the greater debate that has yet to be had with Muslims.

It didn't work according to some of the Muslim community, and he was seen as asking them to inform on their children.  Unfortunately there were those who see themselves as having no responsibility  to Britain or any other part of the world whatsoever.

He was heckled by a Muslim who had been allowed into the meeting before he even outlined his plans and shouted down by the ranting's and ravings that made no sense from this radical Muslim.  And that's what he was.  He had been in two banned Muslim organisations and he was known to have praised the 9/11 attacks on America and the attacks on London, so hardly the voice of reason.

As far I am concerned, someone like that is not representative of anyone in the civilised world.  Although there will be those who see him as being right in his ranting's which is all they were.  But these are dangerous ranting's from someone who has no loyalty to the country that he stays in.

Later on in the evening I watched the news which gave some Muslims the chance to air their views on what was said and how Muslims can move forward with better integration into British society.  It came across that there were those who see Britain as a place were Islamic law should be introduced and we should all become Muslims.

Listening to these types of people makes me worry about this country and ask the question of how representative are they of the Muslim Community.  This is one of the most serious debates that Britain must hold, and soon before there are more problems in this country.

Most Muslims that appear on our television see themselves as victims and hated by the British people which is something that I cannot agree with.  And how representative are these people of the wider debate?  I don't know, but whatever way you look at it we have to co-exist with each other.

I don't understand why Muslim's need to be called Muslims when they come from so many countries worldwide rather than Iraqi, Iranian, the Arab States or the many other countries that many Muslims come from.

I am proud to be called a Scot and most people who live here are proud to be called the same. The reason that people from many religions come to Britain is to get away from the radicalism that is being spread worldwide, and some Muslims are the same.  They have the chance to get on like anyone else, but can't expect to be treated different because they say they are Muslim, Christian or any other religion because it not the way we work in our democracy.  And shouting down people who are addressing the way forward is no way to create a debate.  It's a turn off.

I often hear our government stating that this is minority opinion and that the majority of Muslims are moderate, but they never give out percentage statistics like they do with everything else that they brag about like unemployment, the economy and all the other statistics that they give us.  So what is the majority amount and how deep rooted is this problem of integration?  And does government really know the true figures?

Most Muslims that have immigrated or migrated to Britain have been made welcome in this country and have had the opportunity to move forward by opening their own businesses and become businessmen in this country, so they can't say that they have been discriminated against.  And if there is any discrimination it is widely condemned as it should be.

John Reid our elected government representative has started the debate and it's now up to the Muslims to keep that debate going because it is the only way forward for the people in this country, including Muslims.

But let's use the ballot box and start listening too what's being said by all sides.

Written by Andrew Murphy 21 September 2006

Back to the main letters page