The global force behind Mumbai’s agony is in our midst

Verity

Thank you for this piece by the excellent Stephen Schwartz who is one of the clearest and best-informed thinkers engaged in the Islamist problem. The clarity of his thinking is always illuminating. He is probably the pre-eminent voice in this mess that the bien-pensants in the West - especially Britain, but the US, too, which has accorded way too many privileges to CAIR - have facilitated. Each with a different motivation.

America can be blackmailed by citing "freedom" of speech, lifestyle, whatever, as CAIR well knows. In Britain, terrorism is facilitated by the British government as a means of controlling the citizenry. America seems to be coming to its senses - somewhat - over CAIR. The problem in Britain is, the blinkered approach is deliberate.

I think that with Obama at the wheel, we are in for a very rough ride - especially as the vile, disloyal British government will facilitate the stupidity of his thinking. (I have said from the outset that Obama lacks mental wattage. I would put him somewhere around Jimmy Carter on the stupidity index.)

T. Gonzalez

Western democracies continue to turn a blind eye towards mushrooming immigrant enclaves in many of their major cities. As a result, these pockets are now alien fiefdoms whose occupants permit neither rule of law, nor rule of reason,to prevail. As a result, extremism has flourished exponentially. Where to place the blame?Our "Western" slavish adherence to political correctness and cultural relativism have drawn most democracies into an inflexible and authoritarian corner from where,ultimately,there may be no escape.

We need to engage immigrants. We need to encourage and expect assimilation, as well as participation in the democratic process; and most importantly, we need to require that the rule of law (our domestic law) be respected. The political satire titled "Up Dog Street" describes in satirical fashion one such enclave in America. But, along with the humor, there's a very serious warning that democracy is not invincible and what is not defended will surely be lost.

Verity

Some islamic woman working for a law firm has won a £75,000 jackpot because one of the partners made remarks about her burqa. (Given her photo in The Mail, he should have insisted she wear the full niqab. But I digress.)

I am baffled by the cringing ignorance of the British. This was a law firm, for heavens' sake, and they didn't research the Koran. Had they done so, they would have found that there is absolutely no religious obligation at all to wear these outfits. They were an intelligent solution to the blowing desert sands for nomads a couple of thousand years ago. In other words, these outfits, which were practical solutions to sand blowing into noses, mouths, eyes and ears, predated Islam and are never even mentioned in the Koran. (Male nomads wore the keffiyah for the same reasons.)

I cannot believe a law firm being so passive that it just accepted that wearing these bizarre outfits in Britain is a religious obligation.

It is not. It's an ancient - and intelligent - tribal custom suitable for the desert. Wearing it in the West is aggressive and bullying.

Why did this law firm just roll over without doing any research? They took the word of the complainant. How very placid of them.

After they've belatedly investigated the Koran, if indeed they do so, they should Google taqqya and kitman.

Austin Barry

I suspect that in the UK we're one major atrocity away from what the shrinks call the 'burst into reality', when our accommodations and appeasement of the Jihadist fifth column will end. Quite what form that new reality will take I don't know, but it should start with a moratorium on new mosques and immigration from Muslim countries. If it moves on to Mossad-style targeting of known Jihadists so be it.

darsan

india cannot fight l.e.t or any terrrist groups fighting in the name of islam. in fact , the bien pensants among the non- muslims in india is tenacious inin the view that the muslims are doing such acts for legitimate reasons . the electoral compulsions are over whlming to seek favors from muslms. an islamic india will be bad for western civilisation and even russia. darsan

Verity

Darsan, I did not understand a word you wrote.

Austin Barry - yes a country run by normal people would have stopped Muslim immigration - and that includes inexplicable Somali "asylum seekers" (let them seek "asylum somewhere else. Brazil's a big country) - around five years ago.

But as I have said before, Blair, Brown, Straw and the rest of old Trots, Marxists and Gramscis are using Islam and terrorism as a weapon against the British. A weapon of control and ever tightening new laws infringing our ancient freedoms. This is why they opened the floodgates to completely inappropriate people and let them wash in. This is why they let them put up terrorist centres under the name of "mosques".

It was planned this way. Now they are getting involved in Islamic banking and the monstrous mono-occular Brown has said that British taxpayers have to support additional Muslim "wives" provided the "marriages" took place before the whole lot of them encamped in Britain.

I see a school Nativity play has been postponed to January because "it interferes with Eid".

Does anyone think all this is accidental? Bad management?

No. The Trots etc are at war against their own people. What was Blair's first action after the 7/7 atrocity? Did he go on TV to commiserate with his fellow citizens (as George Bush did after 7/11) and swear to round up everyone who contributed to the outrage on our soil? No. He went on TV to hector the British about this being a "tiny minority" (which we know it is not) and warning us not to take any revenge actions.

They are playing their own game - not like their European counterparts who do actually track down and punish terrorists (and who don't hand out their taxpayers' money to extra "wives") and are fighting terrorism. Sarkozy, I recall, publically called them "scum". Blair and Brown would never have said that. Under the guise of being "sensitive" - as though the brash, greedy Blair and the clinically insane Brown have on iota of concern for anyone else - and they are using the Muslims to beat the formerly relaxed and independent minded British into submission. For what? I don't know.

But that this is the planned modus operandum is glaringly obvious.

Verity

Darsan - I've reread your post. Are you saying that Hindus and Sikhs sympathise with the Muslims? If so, if I may borrow a phrase from the beauteous Obama, "That isn't the India I knew.

Of course, India has its armchair liberals - in that sense, they are right up there with the West - but the Indians are too argumentative to accept the "liberal" line, IMHO.

Going by your nom de blog, are you Indian?

HTri

Great comment. It's a tragedy that so many supposed experts can't see the truth of Pakistan's complicity. One day one or more nuclear bombs will go off in cities of the West or places like India or Singapore or elsewhere that has brought onto them the hatred of Muslims. Then we will understand the war we fight.

Jak

WHAT A SHALLOW ARTICLE!

The precision and professionalism of the attackers on Mumbai implies state backing - which on the current evidence is from the Pak military. The Western leaning government in Pak may have turned a blind eye so that they could use the event to sustain an unstable regime and further their elite interests.

The US and British problem is their on-going egoistical interests are causing more and more problems. At the moment they need the Afghan border to be sealed from Pakistani Mujahideen so they can stabilise their puppet regime Afghanistan. They need the Pak gov't and military on board to do that - criticising them at the moment will have the opposite effect!

The Indian gov't has to make a reasonable response (due to public opinion) otherwise the gov't may fall. However any military response will bring the Pak military from the Afghan border to the Indian border - something Britain and US do not want - leaving India with little viable alternative.

The problem as the authors believe is not Islamic ideology - the root problem is like other problems in the Muslim world since 1924 is the selfish and ruthless capitalistic interests - which are coming home to roost!

Rather than create islamophobia and attack yet another segment of the Muslim population, the authors (and their extreme friends like verity) should maybe consider political analysis in further depth and articulate the actual reality rather than dream up fantasies...

Verity

Jak - Stephen Schwartz is widely respected in the United States, and among some of the rest of us, as an informed and astute commenter on Islam as a religion, and Islamic terrorism.

jon livesey

Although I agree with most of the sentiments here, I think that this is a poorly written and possibly counter-productive article.

It is far too long on dictums and far too short on reason and evidence. Riding around Washington with a gun is hardly unique, for example.

In fact, this entire piece reeks of the "true because I say so" pseudo-logic that radical Islam itself employs. It will comfort the already convinced, and leave sensible people wondering where is the beef.

I would have thought that the Spectator could do better.

Verity

Dear God - we're back to top o' the page comments rather than the intelligent template of bottom of the page so people can comment on the latest post?

How simply stupid.

John Livesy writes: "I think that this is a poorly written and possibly counter-productive article." So, John Lives, give it a C?

Dr Mrs Hilda Raja

Stephen Schwartz has exposed the core of Pakistani Jihadism.As an Indian the political semanitcs which our politicans engage in is rubbish.They do not comprehend the issue in its totality.May be for political reasons and for vested interest they are not addressing the issue of terrorism with action.The fact is that India's muslim population is numerically greater than the total population of Pakistan.It is for the votes of these muslims that the Indian politicans have gone sift on Islamic terror,thereby rendered India vulnerable and at times even seem to abet terrorism.The government's soft policy on terrorism so that the mulsim votes will not be alienated has cost India dearly.The Mubai blasts was nothing but a war decalred in that finciancial city fo India.Unless the Indian government takes strong measures-like closing down the madrasas,demolishing the trainining camps of the terrorists in POK as the initial step the people in India will not accept the present Govt's promises and half hearted actions.The citizens of India seem to have awakened to terrorism and are resolved to act.

arun

Worry about what is happening to the native British population. Birth rates of just 1.2 per woman over the last thirty years and continuing means that the native British population falls from 60m today to a catastrophic 6m this century , to be overtaken by Islam in births around 2037. We are headed for sharia law unless we give handsome rewards for the first two births

Verity

Thank you, Dr Mrs Raja. India's problems appear to mirror Britain's. Politicians putting their ability to get reelected on the back of Muslim votes before the majority religion. I was surprised to read that there are more Muslims in India than it Pakistan.

Somehow, and I don't know how, the indigenous populations have to take the reins out of the hands of venal, self-serving politicians whose overriding interest is in hanging onto office.

incredulous

Verity == truth, fact or reality, especially an enduring religious or ethical truth
bwuhaha
ihr Deppen

RSPatil

This article is full of logic born out of recent events that again focussed the attention of the world towards Terrorism.It is a good sign that the world is paying serious attention terrorist acclivities in India ; for which India has been trying to make its case to the whole world.Better let than never.Pakistan is a nation which was born out of hatred of its motherland the Hindustan. It is ironical the country i.e. Pakistan was the real Hindustan (land on the bank of the River sindhu > Sindhustan> Hindusthan)of the ancient days where the Hindu culture developed flourished.And yet it is the same country which is spreading the flame of violent destruction.It has turne itself into TERRORISTHAN and does not remain anymore Pakistan (Pure land)The dream of the Islamic terrorist to convert the rest of Hindustan into an extended Barbaric Islamic state is the only cause of this hatred. You can not build a nation on the foundation of fundamentalism arson intrigue.
I congratulate the authors for being so realistic without being rhetorical.The article is well supported by contemporary facts.However those who should read and mend their ways ae not going to read it least of all realise the consequences of their actions. But there always is a natural end to everything that is extreme