We are again confronted with a situation where all those who love peace and civil society must stand in unity against the forces of evil that would foster division by creating fear and chaos.
Speaking as a Muslim, I could not condemn the attacks more vigorously and I stand united with the people of Belgium. There can be no justifiable motive for these attacks whatsoever and to commit them in the name of Islam is to attack Islam itself.
There does, however, need to be a robust and coherent response to what has happened - and that does not shy away from asking very tough questions and which goes further than rhetoric. I am sure there will be questions asked in Belgium about whether enough has been done to encourage integration across the city of Brussels, when we hear that parts of Molenbeek may in effect have become parallel communities – regarded as ‘Islamic’ parts of town and whose separate evolution has been passively tolerated. It should not surprise us that communities which are cut off, and where a different outlook on civic life is tacitly accepted risk becoming ‘hotbeds’ that create ideal conditions for perverse religious interpretations to thrive.
Let us be under no illusion – we are talking about ‘ghettos’, in effect. Tough questions must be asked about why this was ever considered acceptable by anyone. We can no longer countenance a policy of ‘multiculturalism’ - what boils down to an acceptance of civil division along cultural, racial and religious lines.
We need to ensure proper standards of education across all communities, and that means looking critically at what is taught in some ‘Madrassas’, as we would any other school. There is no place at any school for the teaching of a world outlook that preaches hatred. It also means tackling elements of a culture where fifty percent of the population – girls and women – may be denied access to educational opportunities because of their gender. When a whole section of the community risks being brought up by a mother who lacks basic literacy skills, there will inevitably be problems further down the line. Providing all children broad education which teaches that certain values are universal is essential if we are to prevent corrupted and narrow-minded ideologies from passing along generations.
It has never been more urgent for us to have these difficult conversations, and I look forward to the day when this view can be advanced comfortably - by anyone of moderate persuasion and irrespective of their own racial, religious or cultural background – without having to walk on eggshells.
Bluntly, it is easier for me to advance this type of argument than it may be for a white, middle-class male (who is like me in virtually every respect bar religion and skin colour) – but we should all look forward to the day when this is not the case.
ENDS