Gordon Brown in Afghanistan

The recent confusion from the Government over its anti-terror funding in Pakistan, while Gordon Brown reaffirmed the government’s committment to the “crucible of terror”, is understandably creating disillusionment about the fight against Islamic extremism.

As more news like this continues to flow, it is becoming increasingly hard for the public to comprehend why we’re in Afghanistan. An October 2009 opinion poll for The Times found more than a third of voters (36%) believe that troops should be withdrawn immediately — up from 29% in mid-September 2009.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that populist extremists like the BNP have decided to exploit this growing gap between the government and public.

The BNP’s analysis of the global terror crisis is, as Andrew Brons MEP revealed to the European Parliament this week, as follows: It’s the West’s fault. If Britain and America wish to remain safe from Islamic violence it must stop fighting wars in Muslim lands. It should repatriate all its Armed Forces. It should cease its support for Israel. And in order for the world to remain stable, it must be segregated along racial lines so that differing interests do not collide.

Besides the striking similarity between Al-Qaeda’s worldview and the BNP’s (although AQ would segregate us along religious lines), what’s surprising is that an anti-Muslim party that claims to be “tough on terror” is so easily prepared to sell us out to Islamists and their associates. This point of view was once held on the fringes of the far-left, the Islamists and isolationist conservatives. Now it is filtering its way into the mainstream media and political discourse and becoming increasingly popular with the public, as the Times’ poll reveals.

This is why it is important for extremists ideas to be challenged to see if they stand up after examination:

1. “Muslim lands”

British soldiers fighting the Taliban

This is not true.

During the first Gulf War, Britain and America were called to the Middle East after a request from Saudi Arabia - an Islamic orthodox regime - to help protect it from the secular non-Muslim Baathist dictatorship in Iraq headed by Saddam Hussein.

Nothing British has spoken to experts in the area of Islamism and they have told us that the defilement of “Muslim Lands” argument is used by Islamists who seek to claim an extremely diverse region as their own to cleanse it of indigenous non-Muslims. Thus, to accept this Islamist argument, as the BNP do, legitimises their racist and intolerant views on a region where many other non-Muslim religions, ethnicities and races also exist (Jews, Christians, Druze, Arabs, Kurds, Persians, Turks and Africans).

2. “Bring back the troops!”

The BNP’s 2010 campaign is called “Bring back the troops”. The party claims that our troops in Afghanistan is a waste of time. They conspiratorially believe we are only there to serve the interests of multinational companies, to serve the interest of America and Israel and that the real security threat is back home in the UK. They also add that our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan has turned Britain into a target for terror.

Mohammed Sadiq Khan in 2001 in Yorkshire on a terror training expidition

This again is false.

Both 9/11, which killed nearly sixty Britons, and 7/7 were planned before we ever set foot in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Mohammed Sadiq Khan, the ring leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for 7/7, first came across West Yorkshire Police’s radar in 2001 (see photo left) during an investigation into terrorism (please see the Joint Intelligence Committee’s enquiry into 7/7 here). The report also said that it knew that Khan had gone to Pakistan at least twice for training and to Afghanistan possibly once.

It is therefore vital we stay in Afghanistan to shut down the terror training centres where they can develop skills and knowledge to kill British civilians on Britain’s streets.

3. Cease support for Israel

The accusation that Britain and America faces the threat of Islamist terrorism because of its close friendship with Israel ignores the fact that Bin Laden declared war against the West because of our friendship with Saudi Arabia. During the first Gulf War, Bin Laden was furious with the Saudi’s for rejecting his Muhajideen forces to fight Saddam Hussein, favouring of Western troops instead.

Nonetheless, Israel’s relationship with Britain and America is often distorted by extremists (left, right and Islamist) whose theories are based on conspiracies. European and American neo-fascists often describe Israel as having a malign influence over British foreign policy and is accused of exploiting the Holocaust to get its own way.

Milliband criticised Israel over Gaza

If this was the case it hasn’t been very effective.

For example, during its intervention in Gaza during January 2009 to stop Hamas rockets being fired into Israel, British government officials were quick to condemn Israel for its actions. David Milliband, Labour’s Foreign Secretary, said Israel was using “disproportionate force” against Hamas. Bill Rammell, who was a Foreign Office Minister at the time, called the operation “unacceptable” (watch his remarks to Iranian television here). William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said: “The shelling of the UN Headquarters in Gaza is unacceptable. This undercuts efforts to bring relief to the people of Gaza and is against Israel’s own interests.”

The UK government has also used controversial food labelling on produce from Israeli settlements to force Israel to stop building in the West Bank. In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the UK government’s actions were “catering to the demands of those whose ultimate goal is the boycott of Israeli products”.

3. Segregate people along racial and religious grounds

Hamas terrorists relaxing: Islamists support the BNP's worldview

The BNP subscribe to ethnopluralism. This neo-racist theory believes that people are equal but different and so the world would be more stable if races were kept separate.

Its policy to create international racial barriers would not only be impractical, but would also be economically ruinous, turn us into a failed state and create enormous global instability. Britain has become politically, economically and socially more integrated into the global system we have benefited. Our economy has grown giving us a higher standard of living, creating new opportunities in the job market and cheaper food and holidays.

Conclusion

No wonder every time Bin Laden and his followers hear the likes of Andrew Brons echoing their worldview in the European Parliament, they think to themselves how weak we are and how their lives are being made just that little bit easier. They know there are people from all over the political spectrum (left, right and Islamist) who are prepared to do their jobs for them.

Maurice Cousins

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