The book
LONDONISTAN By Melanie Phillips just depicts the sorry state of Briton and native Britishers. As an Indian I found this book quite relevant to me. Why because, India is one of those country that has faced hundreds of terrorist Or radical terrorists attacks over many years. What is the state of British right now, is the same state that India is being held at. Not only from the outisde terrorist forces, But, rather from inside politicians (read as secular politicians) who tries to appease shamelessly a certain group of people that is causing the terrorism in the name of their religion aspirations.
Having said that, we Indians cannot completely agree on what the author is trying to say here. We need not be showing more empathy towards them. Because, Briton's are experiencing what they have tried on many other countries in last 60 to 70 years.
India being a prime example of such things. It was British who sowed the seed of bifurcating our country into two, emphasizing the need to create a separate Islamic state, which is now Pakistan. It was British who were the prime reason for Hindu-Muslim fights in Pre-Independence years of India. Simply, if all these things can be put in a single line,
"As you Sow, So, Shall you Reap!!."
Without a doubt, Britain is a multi-cultural society with lots and lots of immigrants harbouring every year. As the author argues about the native britishers who have turned opposite to their mother land and hobnobbing with the terrorist organizations and planning to attack their own fellow britishers. Author tries to bring in lot of information and ancedotes that is happening in Britain before and after
London Terrorist attacks of 2005. This sprouting of home grown, supported Islamic fundamentalism has led to coining the term
"LONDONISTAN", which is a pure mockery of state sponsored terrorism as the author tries to justify.
One such dangerous information from this book, where the author expresses her deep fear that,
"According to British officials, upto sixteen thousand British Muslims either are actively engaged in OR that support terrorist activities. And, scaring figures of upto three thousand is estimated to have passed through Al-Qaeda terrorists camps, with several hundreds are full of vengence against westernism, to attack United Kingdom"
The author tries to tell us that, how all this developped throughout the years in a detailed chapter by chapter. One such issues she raised in chapter 2 is the lousy immigration policies of Britain government for the uncontrolled inflow of people who claims that their prosecution to be happned in their home countries, leaving Britain's police without any choice for longer interrogation of the suspects. This has led many terrorists organizations and radical idiots feel Britain is the safest place to plan and articulate attacks on infidels. She went on blaming the politicians and their sham appeasement policies that is giving terrosists an edge over the police that leads them to escape from the clutches of law.
To best describe the London terrorists attack in 2005 in her own words, let me paste some of the important sections of the book, that the author describes.
“And the number of terrorists who have come roaring out of these polluted British waters is startling. UK-based terrorists have carried out operations in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel, Morocco, Russia, Spain and the United States. The roll call includes Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, killer of the journalist Daniel Pearl and disaffected, brilliant son of Pakistani immigrants; Dhiren Barot, Nadeem Tarmohammed and Qaisar Shaffi, British citizens and al-Qaeda members who plotted to attack major financial centers in the United States; Mohammad Bilal from Birmingham, who drove a truck loaded with explosives into a police barracks in Kashmir; the “shoe-bomber” Richard Reid, who was converted to Islam at Brixton Mosque in south London; Sajid Badat from Gloucester, a putative second shoe-bomber but who was also caught and is now in jail; and Omar Khan Sharif and Asif Mohammed Hanif, the British boys who helped bomb a Tel Aviv bar in 2003 and killed three Israeli civilians. And let’s not forget Azahari Husin or the “Demolition Man,” the Malaysian engineer who belonged to the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah ( JI). He had studied at Reading University in the 1980s, honed his bomb-making skills in Afghanistan in the 1990s, helped mastermind the terrorist attacks in Bali (twice) and finally blew himself up in a gun battle with Indonesian police in November 2005.”
“One of the world’s most radical Islamist organizations, Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in many countries where it is considered a major threat, has its headquarters in Britain.”
“Scarcely less significant is the European headquarters of the radical proselytizing movement Tablighi Jamaat at Dewsbury in Yorkshire.”
“Al-Sunnah, the Islamist magazine that calls repeatedly for human-bomb terror operations against the United States, is published from London,”
“Indeed, one could say that it was in Britain that al-Qaeda was actually formed as a movement.”
“Many of Osama bin Laden’s fatwas were first published in London.”
“The foiled millennium plots of 1999 and 2000, when al-Qaeda planned a series of attacks in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, all led back to London.”
One can easily imagine the dire state the Briton's are living under the direct threat of terrorists. At the same time, few questions pops up, why Britain is not taking any actions against these threats ?, For whose benefit they are doing all these things ?, Why the British government is sympathazing these group of people ?, Are there any international pressure that is blocking Biritsh from taking any action ?, etc..
The author went on to give some of the facts and figures about the Native British Muslims and other immigrant muslims opinion about the SHARIA law enforcement in the country. As she quoted in her book
“A poll conducted by the Guardian newspaper found that 61 percent of British Muslims wanted to be governed by Islamic law, operating on Sharia principles – “so long as the penalties did not contravene British law.” A clear majority wanted Islamic law introduced into Britain in civil cases relating to their own community. In addition, 88 percent wanted to see British schools and workplaces accommodating Muslim prayer times as part of their normal working day.”
Another shocking information from her book regarding the behavior of retail shops and council offices:
“Novelty pig calendars and toys were banned from a council office in case they offended Muslim staff. Ice creams were withdrawn from the Burger King Chain after complaints from Muslims that a whorl design on the lid looked like the word “Allah.” Various councils banned the concept of Christmas, on the grounds that it was “too Christian” and therefore “offensive” to peoples of other faiths”
She also questions the representatives of Muslims in the British. It is not as if there is no one speaking against the fundamentalists, radical Islamists, there is one such person Mansoor Ijaz quotes "It is hypocritical for Muslims living in western societies demanding civil rights enshrined by the state and then excuse their inaction against the terrorists hiding among them on the grounds of belonging to a borderless Islamic community. It is time to stand up and be counted as a modern citizen before the terror consumes all of us."
But all these voice are rather silenced or threatened to get expelled from their religion in the name of FATWA's. This is one such closed decisions, where a progressive thinker, modernists are being threatened and forces them to take back their views and statements.
Well it is a reasonable expectation that the modern day media and its selective journalism. This is very rampant in India and even in Britain it is practiced almost same. Especially when it comes to Islamic terrorism, the media plays a dead ear role and tries to escape from the responsibilites than holding a thoughtful debate which concerns the country. Two such examples that author tries to emphasize is "Theo Van Gough, the Dutch filmmaker who was murdered by terrorist for questioning the Islamic attitudes towards women and freedom of women in Islam" another example is "Over the publication in denmark of cartoons linking the Prophet Mohammed with violence."
The author also tells us that, the larger number of muslim immigration started in Britain dates back to 30 years earlier. And she also tells that, large number of Muslims might have been migrated from "Pakistan, India and Bangladesh" to work in the cotton mills that dates back to pre-Independence era of India, where a cheap labour was much needed by British themselves.
Anyone would gets a clear idea that, the author is trying to blame all the Asian countries for what the British has done to themselves. It is their politicians appeasement agenda that is causing the main problem. Their policies on the immigration population needs to be tightened more. Atlast, who has given asylum to Parvez Mushraf when Pakistan had issued him an arrent warrant ??. Rings a bell ?. It is British government who should be held responsible for increase in the terrorist activities.
Author also tries to express her views on the Israel and the Palestine war and the whole Islamic world is backing Palestine, saying, Israel is a false country and Jewish religion is not at a religion at all. She also mentions that, how the Muslims in Britain is staging protest against USA for having friendship with Israel. No one denies the fact the United Kingdom is a close alley of USA diplomatically. This has caused fury over native Muslim Britisher's who demanded British government to urge USA to withdraw their support for Israel and support Palestine to get back their land. This is one of the chapters, where author tries to shed some light on the connections of British Muslims with Middle eastern politics and the threatning them of the terrorists attacks may happen through these kind of issues.
Overall, this book gives any reader a serious thought to ponder over, but nevertheless at the same time, reader would get an impression that the author is a right-wing, nationalist, christian slant. Few sections also emphasizes the same, where author demands that, the country's interests should be brought back and kids should grow in a christined environment. This ain't wrong. But, this leaves a serious repercussions from the radical thinking minds. Also there are few selective interpretations in the book. But, this book leads readers to think about the direction that Britain is currently going. The culpability of politicians, the appeasement dramas and whether it is a Muslim clergy and many intellectuals who wants their community to be held hostage to the philosophy of its fringe, radical, fundamentalists.
My Rating: 4/5
