Denial is a river in London

Verity

See Dutch hero MP Geert Wilders being interviewed on US TV. http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/251.7/popup/index.php?cl=6075305

Hereford

Our Government is paralysed because they have painted themselves into a corner with the Human Rights Act. They know that, if the proscribe any extremist group or individual, they will be challenged, and, given our leftist, islamist biased legal elite, will loose.

Abu Layla

It is interesting that Melanie Phillips has a tendency to sound like a signed up member of the lunatic fringe to the right of British political debate. To quote Musharraf is to see as a role model for behaviour a dictator whose first inclination is to ban anything that opposes his rule.

Deen

Same old, same old article just repeating what we've got used to by now. Seems as though we've learnt nothing about the effects of Western foreign policy in causing grievances amongst the Muslim community & have instead decided to take our domestic policies from a brutal dictator.

N. Simon

Ever since Lawrence of Arabia, the British have had a glassy eyed love affair with the Arabs. The only exception was Churchill, who was totally realistic about Islam, and knew the only way to deal with, and earn respect from hostile Arabs, is to put on a show of brute force.

This was the same tactic that worked for Israel, until foreigners stepped in and forced Israel to use the softly, softly, appeasement approach, which results in tremendous loss of Israeli and Arab lives.

Dhimmier&Dhimmierer

Why aren't British Muslims taking to the streets to protest at these extremists being allowed here to drag the good name of Islam through the mud? Because British Muslims either agree with "extremism" or aren't prepared to fight it.

J. Isaacs

Isn't Layla a song by Eric Clapton? Well this Abu Layla has nobody on their knees. To call Melanie Phillips part of a lunatic fringe on the day after the conviction of several men for plotting to cut off the head of a British soldier in a lock-up garage in Birmingham and put it on the internet is part of the very denial Melanie Phillips is so rightly pointing to.

Andy Gill

@Abu Layla Since when has banning anti-semites and Islamofascist fanatics been a sign of lunacy? I think its a sign of common sense.

YA

..you see Abu Layla (Son of the Night), the General just expresses his pragmatic view on anti-terror, becasue UK is now infected by the same (Pakistani) strain of clerical fascism.
And oh, - one thing that General even didn't mention - forget about "political debate". There won't be a "debate" with creatures of the night. No freedom, no money, no life for terrorists - is the only way and the order that civilized society should take today in order to survive.

KateA

Abu Layla - It is interesting that 99.99% of Muslims appear to have no comprehension of nuance, irony or ridicule. Melanie has simply highlighted the irony of Musharraf's admonitions. Such factual comparison could only be read as evidence of membership of the "lunatic fringe" by a speaker of 'English as a foreign language' i.e. one unfamiliar with the subtle distinctions and shades of meaning employed in intelligent discourse. Further, I see no distinction between your objection to Melanie's right to "quote" and the Islamic or dictatorial mindset which "bans (or worse) anything [it] opposes" e.g. Salman Rushdie, the Mohammed cartoons, the Pope's speech et al ... ad infinitum!

Hereford

Abu Layla, whatever position Melanie, or anyone else on this blog takes, at least there is the Political Debate here (well at the moment). People's, systems, ecologies all develop and grow, only when there is a continuous introduction of difference even dissonance which forces evolution and adaptation. Theocracies instinctively abhor difference and seek to destroy it. This is because they are based on faith rather than evidence. To allow debate would allow an examination of evidence. All theologies would fail and fall apart under any such scrutiny. In short, you are allowed to say what you say, and all others what they say on this blog simply because we live in a non theocratic democracy. If you want to exist in a world where there is nothing you can categorise as a lunatic fringe, you must also be prepared to exist in a world where there is no debate and no freedom.

John Lucky

Same old Melanie. Try another angle. The 'intellectual' comments by KateA seem from a person blinded of any other views. Let's remove our foreign intereference in Iraq, Afghanistan etc and maybe ALL of mankind will live in peace.

ahad ha'amoratzim

Yes, John Lucky, Afghanistan and Iraq were such paradises before we got involved.

Kate

John Lucky: perhaps you might offer the alternative - the 'other angle' so Melanie has the benefit of your wisdom? It is pure irony that in such a debate the pejorative terms 'racist'/ 'right wing' or 'lunatic' can be transposed with the word 'intellectual'! No apologies for drawing attention to what is blatantly obvious every day in the media. Do you have evidence of even ONE so-called Muslim 'representative' who has exhibited a sense of humour, an appreciation of irony, or a grasp of nuance? Are you familiar with the Muslim use of 'taqiyya' (double-speak)? Language is the 'bridge across the void'. I am not you - you are not me - we are essentially the products of our different histories and experiences. We must therefore 'trust' that our understanding of 'meaning' in the use of language facilitates logically connected dialogue. To ignore the deficits in comprehension exhibited by so many Muslims in their use and interpretation of the English language is to condone misunderstanding and conflict. To accept without question the language of such Muslim 'leaders' as Tariq Ramadan or Abdul Bari, is to be complicit in the manipulation of one's native tongue. The ability to analyse intellectually is quite a 'simple' process - a trawl through reliable sources - often conflicting - and a willingness to think for oneself! Some training is, of course, necessary but, before the dumbing down of the education process, that training was 'a given' - particularly in the Grammars. Conversely, the pernicious 'all shall have prizes' theory has replaced basic education in English comprehension. That social engineering has disabled and dis-empowered vast numbers of British citizens. In the same way, indoctrination of cultural relativism and post-colonial 'guilt' has produced precisely the simplistic beliefs and appeaser mentality you so pertinently illustrate.