Back British values or lose grants, Kelly tells Muslim groups

The Daily Telegraph ^ | October 12, 2006 | Toby Helm

[MadIvan]

Muslim organisations that refuse to defend core British values and fail to take a "pro-active" role in the fight against extremism are to lose access to millions of pounds of Government funding, it was disclosed yesterday.

Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, said it was time for a "fundamental rebalancing" of relations with Muslim organisations if a new generation of terrorists was not to grow up in this country.

The tough new approach would involve shifting grants towards those organisations which accepted and promoted a set of "non-negotiable values" including respect for the law and freedom of speech.

"It is only by defending our values that we will prevent extremists radicalising future generations of terrorists," Miss Kelly said in a speech to Muslim groups in London.

In an apparent threat to the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the umbrella group for Muslims which has received more than £200,000 from Government in the past two years, Miss Kelly highlighted its refusal to take part in Holocaust Memorial Day.

"I can't help wondering why those in leadership positions who say they want to achieve religious tolerance and a cohesive society would choose to boycott an event which marks, above all, our common humanity and respect for each other," she said.

The Council has not taken part in the event, arguing it should be expanded to cover all genocides.

Inayat Bunglawala, the assistant general secretary of the MCB, accused the Government of trying to coax Muslim groups to back its unpopular foreign policies.

"If the Government is planning to merely seek out those organisations who will be less critical or parrot its policies, then this is not a strategy that will succeed. If that happens, the Government will lose credibility with the Muslim community."

Miss Kelly's department alone allocates around £9 million a year to faith groups — much of it to Muslim organisations.

Her comments are the latest in a new effort by Labour ministers to tackle sensitive religious and cultural issues previously regarded as politically "off limits" for the party.

Yesterday two other Labour ministers weighed into the debate over whether Muslim women should have a right to wear veils.

Harriet Harman, the constitutional affairs minister, denounced veils as an obstacle to female participation in society. She argued that doing so would be an obstacle to standing for Parliament. "If you want equality, you have to be in society, not hidden away from it," Miss Harman told the New Statesman.

Bill Rammell, the higher education minister, backed universities that banned face veils.

[MadIvan]

I'm smiling.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[Cementjungle]

Why were they paying these people in the first place?

[MadIvan]

We shouldn't have been. However I believe you'll find that most Western governments do the same.

Regards, Ivan

[Dallas59]

RACISM!!!

[Cementjungle]

We shouldn't have been. However I believe you'll find that most Western governments do the same.

My sister, from Bristol, was just here for a 7 week visit. She seemed to imply that there are all sorts of "grants" to be had for all sorts of things, like her son's new auto-repair setup.

[MadIvan]

My sister, from Bristol, was just here for a 7 week visit. She seemed to imply that there are all sorts of "grants" to be had for all sorts of things, like her son's new auto-repair setup.

If you really believe that the American government doesn't do such things, you need to take a look at FedSpending.org. You'll find insanities in there like loans to Holiday Inn, who can afford to build their own hotels.

Regards, Ivan

[marmar]

Don't you have a British ACLU? If not you can have ours, for free........LOL

[TheCrusader]

"If the Government is planning to merely seek out those organisations who will be less critical or parrot its policies, then this is not a strategy that will succeed. If that happens, the Government will lose credibility with the Muslim community."

This threat to the British government is an act of terrorism in itself. It's a thinly veiled threat of islamofacist 'reprisals' if their efforts to alter British culture are thwarted. I don't know why the British government doesn't just round up these islamic antagonists and deport them all.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

self-destructive political correctness

[Cementjungle]

If you really believe that the American government doesn't do such things, you need to take a look at FedSpending.org. You'll find insanities in there like loans to Holiday Inn, who can afford to build their own hotels.

I have, and it is indeed amazing. There's so much that nobody can keep track of it all.

[MadIvan]

We have an organisation called "Liberty" which is sort of like the ACLU, except they have fewer lawyers, a lot less money and don't appear on the media nearly as much.

Regards, Ivan

[Talking_Mouse]

I hope this continues and you find much more to smile about.

[MadIvan]

Here's a grant you should probably call in: link.

Regards, Ivan

[marmar]

I guess this means, you don't want the ACLU........LOL We also want to get rid of the UN, it is a blood sucking parasite to our country. I dream of the day when it is just a bad memory.......

[Mrs Ivan]

"I can't help wondering why those in leadership positions who say they want to achieve religious tolerance and a cohesive society would choose to boycott an event which marks, above all, our common humanity and respect for each other," she said.

Oh heck. I just agreed with a member of the Labour party - again!

[vimto]

"Oh heck. I just agreed with a member of the Labour party - again!"

It happens. we live in strange times. 'Our Dave' is out hugging trees and hoodies. World gone mad.

[snowman_returns]

Oh heck. I just agreed with a member of the Labour party - again!" It happens. we live in strange times. 'Our Dave' is out hugging trees and hoodies. World gone mad.

Labour have started to realise; only just mind you that they're dangerously out of touch with public opinion in Britain and this in itself threatens big reprisals.

Look at the big picture just of late, John Reid gets tough with muslims and then all the sheep start following him, i.e. Jack Straw, Ruth kelly, Trevor Philips. I wouldn't be surprised either if they haven't taken note of recent gains by the far right in Belgium and Germany ......it seems to figure!

Incidentally UKIP have just awoken and chosen Nigel Farrage as their new chief, this will get the Tories rattled if it hasn't already!!

[GOP Poet]

My sister, from Bristol, was just here for a 7 week visit. She seemed to imply that there are all sorts of "grants" to be had for all sorts of things, like her son's new auto-repair setup.

Hey! I want a grant for blogging! :-). God knows somedays (most days :-) it takes the up the time of a full time job.

As far as the article itself. Someone woke up one day and put their thinking cap on. This is a good sign, let's hope it spreads all over Europe and even to the US.

[Mrs Ivan]

It happens. we live in strange times. 'Our Dave' is out hugging trees and hoodies. World gone mad.

Stark raving bonkers! I feel that I no longer have a political home.

[FFIGHTER]

Like the venerable and wise man Popeye said; "I can't stands it, I can't stands it no more..."

[vimto]

Totally agree with your assessment. It is strange seeing the government wake up. Mind you this mess can be laid at the door of Tony Tony Tone! - he sleepwalked the country into this.

Still better late than never.

[vimto]

I agree - the truth is, in the UK real conservatives no longer have a party that identifies and aligns itself with our views. Ho Hum...

[Mad Dawg]

Inayat Bunglawala, the assistant general secretary of the MCB, accused the Government of trying to coax Muslim groups to back its unpopular foreign policies.

"If the Government is planning to merely seek out those organisations who will be less critical or parrot its policies, then this is not a strategy that will succeed. If that happens, the Government will lose credibility with the Muslim community."

Okay, wait, I must be missing something. (a)Does the government HAVE ANY credibility with the Muslim Community? (b) If it loses the above alleged credibility, we care because .... why?

If you ambulatory cases of cranio-rectal insertion don't stop acting like idiots you will lose credbility with ME. NO, wait, you already lost it.

---

Ask me about my Bumper Sticker ....

[gakrak]

PING. What a great idea, this should rub off on our pols. Amen.

[agere_contra]

It is strange seeing the government wake up

That it is. When a mindless apparatchnik like Kelly suddenly gets it we are at a breaking point

[vimto]

Yes, she is only following order's from on high would be my guess.

[Mister Da]

Neither do Americans!

[Frank Fencepost]

"This threat to the British government is an act of terrorism in itself. It's a thinly veiled threat of islamofacist 'reprisals' if their efforts to alter British culture are thwarted."


Yep. Another good example of muslims using our own freedoms to bring about subjugation of the west.

This guy Bunglawala is a cretin. i.e. On the one hand careful not to officially condone honor killings, but expresses sympathy with those that commit the act.

[BJClinton]

I believe the UK has a "loser pays" system that cuts down on senseless tort.

[Caesar Soze]

Has HM's Government been reminded that HM is also the fidei defensor? I say that tongue-in-cheek, but if you're going to maintain a monarch as the personification of the state's maiestas and sovereignty, and you style that monarch D.G. ... F.D., I would think defending the fides would be an important part of the state.

Anyhoo. This Muslim Council of Britain sounds like it's answerable not to the government or the people, but only to itself. If that's the case, it can fund itself. If you take the Queen's/President's/Space Pope's coin, you must be prepared to dance to her/his/its tune, or explain to her/him/it why you won't.

[RockinRight]

It's about damn time.

Hopefully over here across the pond our leaders can do the same.

[TheCrusader]

"Another good example of muslims using our own freedoms to bring about subjugation of the west."

It reveals a real desire for dominace over the culture they have emigrated to. They try to force an inculturation of islamic sharia law onto their host country, and continue hammering away until that state becomes a mohammedan state. They won't relent, ever; our only hope is that the real citizens of the West understand what's happening and put an end to it, sooner rather than later.

[Bigg Red]

This is good news. I hope Miss Kelly has big bodyguards, especially about her neck.

Question, however: Why in the heck is the British government giving money to such groups in the first place?

[MadIvan]

Probably for the same reason that you are giving money to similar groups.

Regards, Ivan

[Mrs Ivan]

They won't relent, ever; our only hope is that the real citizens of the West understand what's happening and put an end to it, sooner rather than later.

No, they won't give up, but nor will we.

Never imagine that there are not people here who will fight this scum to the last breath.

[Ole Okie]

it's answerable not to the government or the people, but only to itself. If that's the case, it can fund itself.*****

Or fu** itself. Them's my sentiments.

[Frank Fencepost]

"They won't relent, ever; our only hope is that the real citizens of the West understand what's happening and put an end to it, sooner rather than later.

No, they won't give up, but nor will we.
Never imagine that there are not people here who will fight this scum to the last breath."

The problem is not just the islamists who would subject us all to sharia, but our own leftists, who are hell-bent on helping them achieve their goals. How do you fight one in earnest while trying to open the eyes of the other, if 9/11 didn't do it (and 7/7 and the trains in Spain and...)?

Some days I think we're headed for a modern-day version of the Crusades.. this time with a united Judeo-Christian Right.

[McGavin999]

It's good to see them finally standing up. Guess they figured out that the Islamic faciests want them dead.

[TheCrusader]

"Some days I think we're headed for a modern-day version of the Crusades.. this time with a united Judeo-Christian Right."

It's not too late, but it sure doesn't look like the West is going all-out to try to stop the greatest threat to our civilization since the brutal expansion of the Soviet Empire. Worse yet, most people still don't even recognize the severity of the islamic threat, and hence are not demanding that our government do more to protect us.

The media are more focused on gay rights, Mark Foley and Britney Spears' boob job than on reporting the grave threat of the islamofacist quest for world dominance. The government still lets them emmigrate into our land even though they refuse to assimilate, but instead are trying, step-by-step, to change our culture. And they are making serious inroads in America, and even more 'progress' in Western Europe. Even the President is fond of referring to them as "a religion of peace", and focuses his energy on "terrorists" when the real problem is far broader than that.

Virtually every terrorism expert, even those who oppose Bush, agree that terrorism is a GROWING threat, that the jihadis are increasing in numbers, and are using the internet to replace turf-based training and recruiting grounds like Afghanistan. Common European and American muslims use web sites to disseminate "hate the West" propaganda, and use chat rooms to discuss how they are going to dominate our cultures. Radical islam is growing around the world, daily. Yet... we rumble around in Iraq and turn our military into a PC police force while Iran, a far greater threat, is allowed to build nukes and recruit, train and fund international terrorism. We do nothing about Iran but hope for an internal overthrow of the mullah-ocracy.

There is a strange and insideous blindness that has fallen over Western man. I don't know what has caused it, (well, I believe it's due to our falling away from our Christian faith). But whatever has caused this awful blindness, it's going to be the death of our civilization if our eyes aren't opened soon, very soon.

[Dustbunny]

Excellent !!!

[Smokin' Joe]

Hmmmm. They seem to be following the Australian lead. At least someone is waking up.

Miss Kelly's department alone allocates around £9 million a year to faith groups — much of it to Muslim organisations.

I wonder how much of that goes to terrorism indirectly, but since money is fungible, whatever the faithful don't have to pony up is released for other purposes...

[Frank Fencepost]

There is a strange and insideous blindness that has fallen over Western man. I don't know what has caused it, (well, I believe it's due to our falling away from our Christian faith). But whatever has caused this awful blindness, it's going to be the death of our civilization if our eyes aren't opened soon, very soon.

This is a strong point and dovetails with my fear that we're headed for a Crusade. As I see it, the only way to counter the inculturization of Islam is with an equally strong and opposing conviction. Christianity has been on the decline since WWII and we're now at the point where the west no longer takes religion seriously, so we find it hard to imagine that there are those who take -their- religion *very* seriously. The only hope is that the left, (who are so anti-christian and so pro-equality and human rights), will realize that Islam is far more dangerous to them than Christianity. We have to make them see this. It's vital.