Why the West must stay true to itself
"The convictions of Banaz Mahmod's father and uncle for murder – an 'honour killing' carried out because the 20-year-old had left her husband to love a man outside her tribe – has properly provoked a massive outcry. It was horrifying; it was preventable; it was alien. But for some the subtext is that it was also connected to the family's religion – Islam.
"Britain's relationship with its Muslim community is not getting any easier. Many Muslims want to build mosques, schools, and adhere to Islamic dress codes with ever more energy. But that energy also derives from the same culture and accompanying institutions that produced British-born suicide bombers. The space in which to argue that Islam is an essentially benign religion seems to narrow with every passing day."
Will Hutton in the Observer, 17 June 2007
Martin Sullivan