There is something to be said when an islamist pressure group like CAGE, with a paid staff and financing from around the world, declare bloggers like myself as part of an industry. Never let the audacity of what you are saying stop your message.
Frankly you would be better off on a zero hours contract.
So when Asim Qureshi (CAGE research director) fails to condemn women being put to death for adultery, and promotes the use of violence as part of jihad, remember pointing such things out is islamophobia. For some reason, some feel these views are protected as the religious privilege of a minority group. The condoning of misogyny and violent sectarianism must be challenged. Instead, Bath University gave a platform for Qureshi with these views. One he used to attack critics who point this out about CAGE staff. Well played Bath.
[For more background on CAGE and Asim Qureshi click here]
Harrys Place have serialised some of my posts. These include asking Richard Dawkins why he supports an anti-muslim twitter parody account, criticising the French authorities arresting a 16 year old boy of muslim heritage for parodying a Charlie Hebdo cartoon, and criticising the EDL as an anti-secular organisation scapegoating muslims.
The above would be news to the Conservative Muslim Forum who mention as an objective “Create an enabling environment to influence policy development from within the Conservative Party and safeguard the interests of Muslims.” The narrative about PREVENT is to try and suggest that muslims are being treated as other. As I will mention, there are ways in which government ideas make it easier to portray that.
There is a huge danger that government attempts to control extremism will deny free speech. We have already seen suggestions such as approval before broadcast, and other measures to stop someone sharing their views. It will be portrayed as racist, and will create a genuine grievance. We tackle extremism best when we know what people are thinking and saying. The government should be empowering civil society to be able to tackle extremism.
The problem is how people and institutions still condone extremist views, rather than challenge them in the public space. The people who are best organised at the grass roots are the extremists themselves, using genuine grievances about government policy. Then promoting their own political ideology on the back of a victim and conspiracy narrative.
CAGE staff signed a statement saying they would not “leave our community unguided.” Remember that muslims. This is not just a pressure group on civil liberties. This is about informing your world view, and it is one where the advocates have extremist views. The choice is yours, if you want them to guide you.
I agree that extremism needs challenging throughout the whole school system, not just Islamism but in all faith and political guises. You can read my views about that on PREVENT strategy here. I am outraged when a school says women cannot drive their kids to it. That they are a Jewish sect does not matter. It is wrong. Let alone illegal [The Guardian]. How did Brenden O’Neil respond to the Education Secretary launching an investigation into this school?
The truly disturbing thing here is not the Belz ban on female drivers — it’s the casualness with which a leading official has launched an investigation (inquisition?) into a religious group’s expression of its faith. … No, stopping women from driving is not enlightened. But you know what is enlightened? Tolerating such practices, in the name of freedom of religion, and on the basis that it’s always a terrible thing for officialdom to use pressure to try to change people’s beliefs.
The terrible thing is to condone discrimination and misogyny when it masquerades as religion. Maybe this is what CAGE mean by the “decent left.” We will stand up for feminism and equality when people use religion to say: stop oppressing us oppressing others rights.
Article written by John Sargeant on Homo economicus’ Weblog
Follow @JPSargeant78
Email: JSargeant78@gmail.com
Homo economicus' Weblog 
The word Islamophobic means Fear of Islam. Islam means Obedience. Now, is there a word that conveys Contempt for Islam as a backward repressive religion?
Diversified first world problem. Keeps on giving. Again and again.