Is Britain seeing the light?

Visit our News page Is Great Britain Beginning to “See the Light?” Dear Solsticewitch13 , While the Obama administration takes actions and makes overtures to the Islamic world that appear disturbingly similar to what the political and academic leadership in Great Britain has been doing for decades, news coming out of Britain indicates that there is a growing movement inside the government to chart a new course. As the Islamist Watch commentary below notes, “there is growing realization that the UK’s old strategy…has been a disaster.” ACT! for America has been saying this since our founding in 2007, so we are delighted that the failure of the British policy is now being more broadly recognized and that this realization may well be leading to a significant shift in British policy. We should all be very encouraged by this turn of events. The two questions we have for those in Washington, who are arguing for a course of action similar to the failed one Britain has pursued for some thirty years, are these: Why do you want to lead us down the same failed path? And why do you think the outcome here will be any different than it has been in Great Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, etc.? What our political leaders are going to find is that patriotic Americans, who cherish the freedoms guaranteed to us under the Constitution, are not going to simply roll over and acquiesce to this failed course of action – no matter how politically correct it appears. Glimmers of Hope in Great Britain by David J. Rusin Fri, 3 Apr 2009 at 12:17 PM http://www.islamist-watch.org/blog/2009/04/glimmers-of-hope-in-great-britain.html Because the Islamist project has reached a far more advanced stage in Europe, events there often serve as warnings to America about how not to deal with the challenges that lie ahead. Thus it is quite refreshing to be able to highlight a few positive developments in Britain that the United States should consider emulating. First, there is growing realization that the UK's old strategy of empowering nonviolent Islamists, assumed to "possess the necessary 'street cred'" to marginalize violent Islamists, has been a disaster. A report by Policy Exchange argues that the government is "underwriting the very Islamist ideology which spawns an illiberal, intolerant, and anti-Western worldview": "Not only is it failing to achieve its stated objectives; in many places it is actually making the situation worse," they said. "A new generation is being radicalized, sometimes with the very funds that are supposed to be countering radicalization." [Highlight added]. […] The problem has been caused by the link between violent and nonviolent extremism being "habitually underplayed in official documents produced by central government, local government, and the police." Second, Britain has launched a new strategy that recognizes the importance of opposing nonviolent Islamism. Among the updated criteria for defining Islamic extremists: They advocate a caliphate, a pan-Islamic state encompassing many countries. They promote Shari'a law. They believe in jihad, or armed resistance, anywhere in the world. Third, the government has suspended ties with the Muslim Council of Britain — think CAIR with a cockney accent — after one of its senior officials signed a document interpreted as "advocating attacks on the Royal Navy if it tries to stop arms for Hamas being smuggled into Gaza." The government has reinforced the break by pledging to focus its efforts on mosques and smaller groups. Sadiq Khan, the minister for community cohesion, said, "The days of lazy politicians just speaking to one or two powerful community groups or leaders are gone." America could learn from these changes of direction. While the FBI has cut off CAIR, other Islamist bodies are still welcome in Washington. Moreover, there has been little discernable movement to reach out to smaller organizations representing mainstream Muslims. Advice for the feds: Contact a few of those Muslims who disowned CAIR publicly this week. They will be some of your best allies in protecting America against the threat of radical Islam, while helping our nation avoid the mistakes that Britain now must correct the hard way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACT for America P.O. Box 12765 Pensacola, FL 32591 www.actforamerica.org ACT for America is an issues advocacy organization dedicated to effectively organizing and mobilizing the most powerful grassroots citizen action network in America, a grassroots network committed to informed and coordinated civic action that will lead to public policies that promote America’s national security and the defense of American democratic values against the assault of radical Islam. We are only as strong as our supporters, and your volunteer and financial support is essential to our success. Thank you for helping us make America safer and more secure. HOW CAN I TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION? Send a personalized version of this message to your friends. HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION? Click here to give an online donation.