Politicians are finally starting to admit a link between Islam and the extremists

One step forward, one step back.

Theresa May says in Parliament that the Paris attacks have ‘nothing to do with Islam’. And on the same day, later in the evening, her boss quite rightly says: ‘It is not good enough to say simply that Islam is a religion of peace and then to deny any connection between the religion of Islam and the extremists. Why? Because these extremists are self-identifying as Muslims.’

In saying this the Prime Minister was echoing the sensible and intelligent comments of one of his ministers – Sajid Javid – who rightly said in January after the last massacre in Paris:

‘The lazy answer would be to say that this has got nothing whatsoever to do with Islam or Muslims and that should be the end of that. That would be lazy and wrong. You can’t get away from the fact that these people are using Islam, taking a peaceful religion and using it as a tool to carry out their activities.’

In other words, the Home Secretary’s comments are – in the words of her own boss and one of her cabinet colleagues – ‘not good enough’ and also ‘lazy.’  I admire many things about Theresa May and do hope she gets this crucial policy issue right next time.  And there will certainly be a next time.

Which brings me to the huge credit due not only to the Prime Minister, but also to Nigel Farage.  In a speech on Monday night the Ukip leader said:

‘The thing that makes me angry about what happened in Paris is frankly the fact that it was so utterly and entirely predictable.  I think we’ve reached a point where we have to admit to ourselves, in Britain and France and much of the rest of Europe, that mass immigration and multicultural division has for now been a failure.’

For saying this Nigel Farage has predictably drawn criticism from the Labour party, the Liberal Democrat party and the Green party.