[Tony] Blair launches stinging attack on 'absurd' British Islamists

Observer ^ | July 1, 2007 | Nicholas Watt

[ejdrapes]

Blair launches stinging attack on 'absurd' British Islamists

Nicholas Watt, political editor Sunday July 1, 2007 The Observer

Tony Blair has launched a powerful attack on 'absurd' British Islamists who have nurtured a false 'sense of grievance' that they are being oppressed by Britain and the United States.

In his most outspoken remarks on Islamists, the former Prime Minister warns that Britain is in danger of losing the battle against terrorists unless mainstream society confronts the threat.

Blair's remarks, in which he also attacks some civil liberty campaigners as 'loopy loo', were made in a Channel 4 documentary recorded last Tuesday on the eve of his departure from Downing Street.

'The idea that as a Muslim in this country that you don't have the freedom to express your religion or your views, I mean you've got far more freedom in this country than you do in most Muslim countries,' Blair told Observer columnist Will Hutton, who presents the documentary. 'The reason we are finding it hard to win this battle is that we're not actually fighting it properly. We're not actually standing up to these people and saying, "It's not just your methods that are wrong, your ideas are absurd. Nobody is oppressing you. Your sense of grievance isn't justified."'

[ejdrapes]

I wish GWB would hire Blair to be his spokesperson on the WOT. Blair would do a much better job than GWB, that's for sure.

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

Blair:

‘The idea that as a Muslim in this country that you don’t have the freedom to express your religion or your views, I mean you’ve got far more freedom in this country than you do in most Muslim countries,’ Blair told Observer columnist Will Hutton, who presents the documentary. ‘The reason we are finding it hard to win this battle is that we’re not actually fighting it properly. We’re not actually standing up to these people and saying, “It’s not just your methods that are wrong, your ideas are absurd. Nobody is oppressing you. Your sense of grievance isn’t justified.”

Bush:

ReligionofPeaceMumblemumblemarblemouth.

[hsalaw]

So much more sensible than the new PM, who, I heard, wants to “open a dialog” with Muslims. Yeah, right; that’ll work.

[elizabetty]

Fatwah at 11.

[angelsonmyside]

Blair get’s it but I don’t think the new PM does.

[Dudoight]

Three Cheers for Blair. It needs to be said and repeated over and over.

[Man50D]

In his most outspoken remarks on Islamists, the former Prime Minister warns that Britain is in danger of losing the battle against terrorists unless mainstream society confronts the threat.

Below is the ideology the west is up against.

Islamic Scholar Warns U.S. of 'Two-Faced' Muslims

[honestfreedom69]

Yet Blair expects the Israelis to give the Islamists everything they want.

[RobbyS]

Ah, yes, dialog/ One side uses words, the other bombs. Unfortunately. Brown will talk more and more of dislogue, and the other side will replay with carbombs.

[proxy_user]

“So much more sensible than the new PM, who, I heard, wants to “open a dialog” with Muslims. Yeah, right; that’ll work.

That’s the same line Blair took when he was PM. Now that he’s out of office, he gives his real opinion.

He would not have been so reviled if he had not been the prisoner of focus groups and polls while in office.

[Gene Eric]

>> unless mainstream society confronts the threat.

Nudge, nudge, ... wake up... psst, wake up...

[blam]

"Blair, who normally chooses his language carefully when he talks about Islamists, also takes a swipe at critics who accused him of undermining civil liberties. 'When I'm trying to change the law in order to make it easier to deport people who engage in terrorism - the idea that that's an assault on hundreds of years of British civil liberties is completely absurd. Some of what is written on this is loopy-loo in its extremism.'

Don't the Brits call the bathroom the loo?

[Hodar]

Rush said it best.

Peace is NEVER bartered. In every single instance where peace is attempted by treaty, bloodshed, crime and oppression have resulted. Pakistan and India, Palestine and Israel; simply stated, more die in the mini-battles between cease-fires than would have died in a full out war.

So, my opinion matches Rush; if it’s full out war they want; give it to them. Only when they have been decimated, when a huge percentage of their population is killed, their cities laid waste, and they are truly utterly, completely and totally crushed will peace be successfully negotiated.

Consider Japan and Germany as examples. When the country was forced to beg for mercy, to give UNCONDITIONAL surrender; was peace finally obtained.

[Mr. Mojo]

"you've got far more freedom in this country than you do in most Muslim countries," Blair told Observer columnist....

Most? I suspect Blair means "all."

'The reason we are finding it hard to win this battle is that we're not actually fighting it properly. We're not actually standing up to these people and saying, "It's not just your methods that are wrong, your ideas are absurd. Nobody is oppressing you. Your sense of grievance isn't justified."'

Hate to break it to you Tony, but explaining to Islamists that their methods are wrong and their ideas absurd isn't going to win you any battles. ....or wars, for that matter. The only language the enemy undestands is force and strength, so appeals to reason aren't going to cut it. Reason only works with reasonable people.

But to his credit, Blair isn't babbling like a moron about Islam being "a religion of peace and love."

[Suzy Quzy]

Sad that Tony had to wait til he’s OUT OF OFFICE to be able to say these things!!! Keep it up, Tony!

[Suzy Quzy]

The new PM is WEAK-KNEE-ED LIBERAL!

[shield]

Give me a break....your hatred toward President Bush sounds like the lefties and the moonbats.

[claudiustg]

Give the Brits back their guns, Blair! But it’s a little late for that isn’t it.

[Bullish]

Too bad the “loopy loos” won’t know reason until they’re blown to bits.