MANAFACTURING OFFENCE
Watching the Daily
Politics on Friday I was deeply offended, not to say enraged. The cause of
this offence one Muhammad Shafiq who has himself claimed to have been so
deeply offended by a tweet from the Lib Dem candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn,
Maajid Nawaz, containing a link to a Jesus and Mo cartoon that he has called
for his de-selection. I need hardly add that Mr Nawaz as a consequence has
received death threats and is now receiving police protection.
Mr Shafiq’s interview on
the DP was an interesting case study in the manufacture of outrage, following a
template set by the Danish cartoons affair. Mr Shafiq a typical trouble maker,
a self obsessed narcissist, self promoter and at heart of course a nobody, who
by hijacking religious sensibilities creates a furore loud enough to get him interviewed
on TV.
You can view the interview
here, about half way through the programme. I fear this might not be possible
for those outside the UK
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| The offending Cartoon |
His tactics, to magnify
any original offence, affect to be speaking for the great multitudes of his
co-religionists and to exhibit two sets of manners. For the BBC and the non
Muslim community he is Mr pained but reasonable, shocked to the core by the
original ‘offence’ but merely exercising his right of free speech, an unhappy
spokesman he merely seeks to draw attention to the offence caused to “so many
Muslims.”
To the world of
fundamental Islamism is speaks the language of retribution, presenting himself
as the defender of the faith. He takes it upon himself to inform Muslim
countries across the world of the great offence that the Lib Dem Prospective
Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn has caused Muslims across the
globe by tweeting a link to an innocuous cartoon. Should some fanatic,
swallowing Mr Shafiq’s representation of Mr Nawaz as ‘Gustagh-e-Rasool’ which
translates as enemy of the prophet, seek to cause Mr Nawaz physical harm that
is simply not his responsibility.
By choosing to go on the
Daily Politics however Mr Shafiq suddenly found himself outside his comfort
zone. Instead of the cautious treading on egg shells approach normally taken by
television presenters when faced with those hawking around such religious
grievances he got short shrift from Andre Neil. Mr Shafiq blustered and
obfuscated, claiming at one point to be the injured party. Andrew Neil
expressed incredulity that Mr Shafiq was a member of the Liberal Democrats, a
party supposedly wedded to the ideals of John Stuart Mill “…who now must be
turning in his grave.”
The sly smile followed by
Shafiq’s observation that the Liberal Democrats were “…a broad church,” spoke
volumes respecting the decline of British liberalism. One wonders whether he was
completely familiar with who Mill was, let alone be acquainted with his
writing.
Even more heartening the
show had an alternative voice from the Muslim community Kenan Malik who set
about puncturing Mr Shafiq’s pretensions, not least his claim to be a spokesman
for all Muslims. As he points out some Muslims find the cartoon offensive
some do not, “this is not a case about an offence to a community but about a
debate within a community.”
Sadly the robust approach
taken by Andrew Neil and Kenan Malik has, and here I feel I must say as I
expected, not been replicated by the Lib Dems themselves, who have issued a
mealy mouthed statement oozing saccharine platitudes, in short a statement of
appeasement. On the show itself I was particularly saddened to see Steve
Richards, a commentator I had hitherto respected, mouth such platitudes himself,
“…must be careful…obviously created a furore.” I sometimes fear that a great
many liberals in this country are possessed of a death wish. Well they are not
taking me with them.
So let me spell it out in
clear unambiguous language, it needs to be made clear to the likes of Mr Shafiq that they are not the only one capable of feeling offence and we too can take to the airways. As to soft liberals as long as they continue to appease these self
appointed witch-finder generals, they will continue to collude in the erosion of
free speech.
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