Baroness Sayeeda Warsi warns British Muslims against ‘victim culture’

From the Times Online
Philippe Naughton

Conservative peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has warned UK Muslims of the dangers of victim culture

The Conservative peer who helped negotiate the release of the primary school teacher jailed in Sudan for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Mohamed attacked her fellow British Muslims today for their “victim culture”.

Baroness Warsi, a Conservative spokeswoman on community cohesion, also criticised Labour for its “patronage politics” and for having encouraged the “divisive concept” of multiculturalism.

Lady Warsi, 36, born to Pakistani parents in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, is the youngest member of the House of Lords. She came to public notice earlier this month when she was asked by Lord Ahmed, a Labour peer, to accompany him to Sudan to mediate the release of Gillian Gibbons, who had been jailed for insulting Islam.

The situation in Sudan had been extraordinary and “thankfully” could never happen in the UK, Lady Warsi told a race relations conference in London this morning.

“And yet it had echoes of situations we do get in Britain,” she added, describing how cultural misunderstandings had exacerbated a local problem, which had then been taken up by religious and political leaders “busting for a fight”.

“These three factors – local disputes, cultural misunderstandings and hardliners stirring up trouble – these are very familiar to us in Britain,” she said.

It was entirely possible to respect religious doctrine while living within a democracy, Lady Warsi
said. To do so successfully, it was crucial to make the distinction between religious faith and cultural practice.

“This distinction is vital because there is a growing tendency among some people to describe what are really social expectations – and often pretty dubious ones – as religious requirements".

“…British Muslims have the foremost responsibility here,” she added. “As long as the Muslim community remains in a victim culture, a siege mentality, they allow others to control the debate".

“When it comes to Islam, the majority of Muslims understand the difference between culture and religion. It’s not for others to tell Muslims what is and isn’t Islam. It’s for the community, and in that I include myself, to expound the truth about our faith – not let others interpret it for us. It is for us to be the change – not let others impose it on us. ”

Lady Warsi, who is thought to be the first British Muslim to serve in either the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet, pointed out that she had gone to Sudan with a Labour peer and had been proud to be part of a bipartisan effort where party differences did not matter.

“But this is not to say that there are no differences between the parties when it comes to cohesion at home,” she added.

“For me, cohesion means that where there is local diversity, different races and religions get along.
Cohesion should never mean multiculturalism, in the way that this concept has been translated by Labour: the doctrine of separate identity, with each group encouraged to feel that identity requires the expression of difference to the point of hostility.

“Multiculturalism has been manipulated to entrench the right to difference, a divisive concept, at the expense of the right to equal treatment despite difference, a unifying concept. And the fact that cohesion is local, means Labour get it wrong when they go in the other direction too. After years of promoting top-down multiculturalism, Gordon Brown is now promoting top-down unity.”

She went on: “Of course, localism has to be in the context of a national consciousness – and that’s why I want us to reverse the failed state multicultural approach and ensure there is sufficient English language teaching for new arrivals, and proper teaching of English history for our children so that they have a deep understanding of our great institutions and how they came to be as they are.

“But to me, Britishness means the opposite of what it means to Gordon. I was bought up to believe that being British meant you didn’t go on about it! It’s not about planting flags on lawns, or inventing a new Veterans Day – as if we should celebrate our country by importing traditions from America.
“Gordon is even consulting far and wide on six words, a motto believe it or not, that encapsulates our nation. Well let me tell him: you’re searching for something you won’t find.

“Britishness is not something that can be put in words. It is about institutions, and traditions, and the shared values which are often felt more than spoken.” Source

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This Article has appeared on other Blogs as well as on the Times Online but I feel it is worth republishing here. If the copytight holder objects I shall of course remove it.

Thank You Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi

In my last post I was extremely critical of the lack of proactive action by British Muslims in ensuring the idiotic behaviour of their coreligionists in the Sudan in even bringing to trial a British Primary School Teacher who was in the Sudan to help, not as part of some Western Crusader Plot (What drugs are these people taking), let alone jailing her, was resolved.

Fortunately Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi, did the correct and honourable thing and flew out to talk to the one Man who could overrule the ignorant clerics and the incompetent judiciary.

I am sure they had to exercise considerable, tact and diplomacy, but thanks to their efforts Gillian Gibbons is now free and back in the UK - So thank you my Lady and my Lord..

Whilst in the Lords, Baroness Warsi sits on the Conservative benches and Lord Ahmed on the Labour side of their Lordships House, they joined together in a common cause and retrieved what had already become a serious situation and was in danger of escalating.

These two Muslim Peers have done much to restore some faith that there are those, at least in the 'Muslim Establishment', who are true to both their faith and their country.

Unfortunately I believe there are far too many who hide behind Islam, but have nothing but loathing for this Country whether of their Birth,or because they obtained Citizenship.

The Muslim communities need to follow these Peers example and to take the correct and honourable course of action and assist the authorities in rooting out these corrupt Islamists and expose them for what they are, a cancer in our society that needs to be rooted out.

A Teddy Bear Called Muhammad

A teacher asked her class to pick a name for their class Mascot a 'Teddy Bear' Now to children of a certain age a Teddy Bear is a 'friend' and therefore it was logical that they should pick a very popular name, in this case a boys name (all Teddy Bears seem to be considered male).
As this is the Sudan it was almost inevitable that the choice would be Muhammad. A perfectly reasonable name for a friend.
The Teacher who feels that parents should be 'kept in the loop' wrote a letter including this news. None of the parents were outraged, or even concerned, after all they understood. But it appears a fellow staff member was deeply affronted that a children's toy should be named after the Muslim Prophet and alerted the authorities.

Now instead of giving this stupid person a dressing down for wasting their time, they arrested the teacher and made her stand trial.

The case of course should have been thrown out, instead the poor woman was convicted and some consider her lucky to have only received an additional 10 days in Jail to be added to the 5 she has already spent in prison awaiting trial.

Welcome to the insane world of the Sudanese Religious Politics
The British Council of Muslims has condemned the Sudanese Government (about time they did something worthwhile), Muslim Writers and even proponents of Shia Law (which I personally find a distasteful legal framework) have done the same.
But I don't see British Muslims protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy.
Why not!.

Muslims in Britain often feel they are misunderstood and marginalised. Well if their coreligionist's insist on acting as if they living in the 12th century and certain Middle Eastern Countries refuse to allow Christians to wear symbols of their faith, certain Mosques preach hatred against Christian and Jews and anti-Christian and Jewish cartoons are regular feature in certain papers. What do they expect.
So this incident is the 'final straw that broke the camels back'.
I have spent my entire adult life believing in religious tolerance, but i am now so fed up with Muslim Intolerance, I now see that pure ideals of the Koran have been corrupted by too many groups and countries for their own agendas so that I now view Islam as something to be treated with suspicion and distrust . A sad conclusion, but one that has been coming for a long time.