LONDON LETTER AUGUST 20th 2014


1.
The mornings have suddenly become chilly and there is a definite autumnal feel in the air. Whilst the Notting Hill Carnival comes early this year, it is to be held this coming Sunday and Monday 24th – 25th. As carnival invariably marks the end of summer, this all feels rather depressing.
Just weeks away from the Scottish Referendum, which could represent a change at least as significant as the breakup of Yugoslavia. Everyone I talk to about it is remarkably sanguine, they just don’t believe it will happen. In my heart of hearts I don’t either, so we all could be in for a seismic shock. Whatever the result Britain will increasingly become a more federalised society. From my perspective I believe that Scottish Independence would be a disaster for the UK whilst a more federal structure would represent a progressive development.
I am not blind to the arguments of the nationalists, they make a few telling points, not least the injustice of a left leaning Scotland being constantly ruled from a Tory or centrist England. Devolution max is the answer to this problem. However behind all the rational arguments it is easy to discern a more atavistic aspect to the independence movement or at least a hankering after the nationalism of the 19th Century. Meantime, like most English people, I watch and wait passively on the side-lines. 


David Cameron’s blundering incoherence over ISIS, or as they now call themselves Islamic State, and the situation in Iraq is only matched by Obama’s blundering incoherence. One development that heartens me and would definitely have heartened Christopher Hitchens is that we are now definitely arming and supporting the Kurds. Kurdistan is the only truly successful region of Iraq, primarily as a consequence of having strong local institutions and an existing civic society- albeit sometimes imperfect – that enabled it to survive the disastrous post invasion misgovernment of Iraq. The Peshmerga are the only force in the region with the skill and the will to take on IS whilst at the same time being committed to civilised values of equality and respect.
That IS cannot be negotiated with, that here is a dark force that is only interested in our, and I use the word deliberately and consciously, destruction. In their fantasy world they would happily kill all non-believers, Christians, Jews, Hindu’, Buddhists, Sikhs and the followers of any other religion you care to name, and this reality is now beginning to uncomfortably dawn on the most woolly liberals and even a few on the hard left. Incidentally you need to add to this little shopping list, Shia Muslims, whom IS view as apostates, and consequently they are killing Shia’s and undertaking the destruction of all Shia sacred shrines that fall into their hands.[1]  The uncomfortable reality is that we are going to have to kill them, and kill them in large numbers to make them stop. 
One ludicrous aspect to the reporting of ISIS/IS is the absence of any mention of the groups religious motivation. Thus on a radio 4 discussion of the group consisting of a number of ‘experts’ religion was mentioned only once, that was by Patrick Coburn in relation to the fact that IS is funded primarily by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. Saudi Arabia in particular being keen to ensure that the Wahhabi brand of Islam to which they adhere, is the only game in town. On another occasion when a commentator alluded to IS’s religious zeal he was rebuked, this was not about religion, he was told, this was the hijacking of religion.
This may make people feel better but is of course complete bollocks; IS militants are as convinced they are doing Allah’s will as firmly as I believe that the Earth revolves around the sun. Moreover they do not just believe in Qur’anic injunctions they act on them:-
 Qur’an:9:5 - “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.”Qur’an:9:112 “The Believers fight in Allah’s Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed.”Qur’an:9:29 “Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission.”Qur’an:8:39 “Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah.”
They believe this stuff and are prepared to fight and die for it. Whilst I don’t rule out that other psychological and political forces might be at play, they say that Islam is their motivation and I believe them. Until we understand this and move away from a lot of sentimental nonsense about ‘the real Islam’ we will be fighting blindfold.
I see that a group of UK based Islamists have been handing out pro IS leaflets. One would be Jihadist appeared on TV saying that he wanted to go and settle his family in the newly carved out ‘Khilafah.’ He complained about travel restrictions he faced and said that he was prepared to renounce his British citizenship if this is what it took, since he did not value this status anyhow. Why can this not be facilitated? I see from the British government website that it is only possible to renounce citizenship if, ‘you already have another citizenship or nationality[or] you’re going to get another citizenship or nationality after giving up your British citizenship or status.’ Could this not somehow be amended in some way to facilitate our friend’s desire? I would personally volunteer to help with the travel arrangements, by organising a flight say to Turkey. However I cannot guarantee that the plane might not develop in-flight problems forcing it to land in Kurdistan, depositing our fledgling warrior outside a camp of refugee Yazidis. The crew would then have to indicate to male members of the camp his travel plans so that they could help him on his way!
[Writing this I have just heard the news of the beheading of US journalist James Foley. I could write that I feel sickened, but truth is I have no language to describe a mix of impotence, anger, despondency and despair that this news produces in me].  
I had intended to write more but I will sign off now dedicating this post to James Foley and all the other brave journalist across the world who have died in the attempt to tell us the truth about what is happening in war zones.
AT August 2014
 
JAMES FOLEY 

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists estimates there are 20 journalists currently missing in Syria.
[1] Can you imagine the uproar should any western army blow up a sacred mosque? Where are all those mobs baying for blood? Perhaps drawing a few cartoons is worse.  

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