The jihad of the British Left

A new and authoritative report by Ehud Rosen has just been published by the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs, which maps the forces behind the campaign of demonisation and delegitimisation of Israel and shows how the UK has become the global hub of such bigotry.

But the UK has also become the global hub, outside the Arab and Muslim world itself, of Muslim radicalisation. The two phenomena are, of course, symbiotically connected. And what Rosen shows is how the radicalisation of British Muslims – an issue of the greatest possible concern in Britain -- is not just the result of extremist Muslim preachers and the like. It has also been actively pushed by the far left.

It has often been remarked upon with surprise that in Britain, the supposedly ‘antifascist’ left marches shoulder to shoulder against Israel and America with the most obscurantist Islamist fanatics who believe in extinguishing the freedom -- and sometimes even the lives -- of women, gays and apostates in the Muslim world, let alone unbelievers anywhere else.

The conclusion has accordingly been drawn that this unholy alliance is based on a shared aim of toppling western society and the destruction of Israel. A series of conferences between 2002 and 2007 brought together the Socialist Workers’ Party, the Stop the War Coalition and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, along with delegates from British trade unions and what turned into the Respect-Unity Coalition, and Islamists from Hamas, Hizballah, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other radical jihadi organizations. The agenda was to organise worldwide boycotts, demonstrations and campaigns against Israel and America.

But as if all this wasn’t enough, what has not been paid sufficient attention is the way in which the British far-left also sought to radicalise British Muslims to the jihad through its close association with the Muslim Brotherhood – part of whose strategy for western domination is to radicalise home-grown Muslims to the cause -- through the Brothers’ UK front in the Muslim Association of Britain. Rosen writes:

...politicizing the Muslims in Britain is perceived as one of the SWP’s major achievements in the last few decades. As explained by Arun Kundnani, editor of the Race& Class journal: ‘The role of the anti-war movement and the coalitions it fostered between Islamists and the Left have obviously been central to this [politicization] dynamic and given a wide range of Muslim groups a level of confidence to speak out on issues such as civil rights and foreign policy, despite the fear of being associated with terrorism.’

... In reality, as already discussed, the MAB also played a major role in forming the political alliance with the British left, mostly manifested by the younger generation of its Brotherhood activists. Rajib al-Basil, an Egyptian journalist and blogger, explained that the MAB has two main political goals: to guide the Islamic awakening in Britain, and to raise the political awareness of the Muslims in Britain and make them more involved in the political process.

After a split in the MAB between older activists and younger radicals, the British Muslim Initiative was formed which

adopts some of the far-left terminology, saying it seeks to ‘fight racism and Islamophobia, combat the challenges Muslims face around the world, encourage Muslim participation in British public life and improve relations between the West and the Muslim world.’ In order to put its name out, the BMI first initiated the IslamExpo, a large cultural affair that was intended to introduce Islam to the British public as a global culture and faith, shed light on the achievements of the Muslim civilization, create stronger foundations for Muslims to understand their heritage and develop their identity, encourage positive interaction between Muslims and other groups, and promote multiculturalism.

... In July 2006, leading figures of the BMI also launched a new Arab TV channel, Al Hiwar TV, aiming to target ‘Arab audiences across the world with a special emphasis on Europe’s growing Arab contingent.’ Broadcasting from London, the channel offers a variety of programs to teenagers, adults, and older persons.

All this quite simply amounts to an active threat to the state. These 'multicultural' activities are founded upon hostility towards the west and the strategy of further formenting that hostility. The results, in the increasing radicalisation of British Muslims, are all around us.

And so what is the government doing to combat this? Nothing. What is it doing to stop the Muslim Brotherhood? Nothing. Indeed, worse still it has a strategy of using the Brothers to ‘reach out’ to the Muslim community in the stupendously stupid belief that the Brothers are a ‘bridge’ between the UK authorities and that community. Without doubt they’re a bridge – but the traffic is all going the other way.

The result has been that the SWP and the Muslim Brotherhood, along with other associated radicals, have been playing the British government for suckers – and as a result, British public discourse has been hijacked to the cause of genocidal bigotry and the jihad.

Yet another report that should be placed on the desk of every member of Parliament.