Moderate Muslims Speak Out!

[dell12]

I was a little disapointed in the interview. I thought Paxman, who is normally excellent, allowed Choudary to turn it into little more than a slagging match. Choudary completely talked over the other interviewee and Paxman did little to stop him. Would have been nice to hear some of Choudary's answers to some questions.

[quisquose]

I've some sympathy with your colleague's view, quisquose, it must be very frustrating for her that to the wider world her views are represented by any organisation and that society seems to demand it.

 

Although Nawaz has an 'interesting' past and was himself previously jailed for extremism, there's something quite compelling about people who 'have the t-shirt' as it were and subsequently seen the error of their ways.

 

Although Paxman didnt control the interview well, I think Choudary was exposed, whilst Nawaz was firm but disciplined in his approach. His organisation offers a rallying point for Muslims to stand behind and organise themselves against the extremists, it's just a pity that it's necessary in the first place.

 

Choudary is a clown. His views are cartoonish: with his visions of the flag of Islam flying over Buckingham Palace or Trafalgar Square turned into a popular venue for Saudi-style beheadings, he offers a reductio ad absurdum of radical Islamism. We should all be laughing our extra long woolly socks off at him, and that includes all Muslims. Every time Choudary, or Fred Phelps (who should be allowed in our country), or similar, appear to talk nonsense in public we should throw our pants at them and laugh loudly.

 

What we don't need is outspoken people to vie for obscene amounts of public money to claim that they speak for "moderate" Muslims.

 

But we are where we are I guess, and this is what we end up with when we restrict our freedom of speech, or have it restricted for us.

[retep]

i didnt see it ,wish i had,any trouble causer such as choudrey or griffin need to be publicly knocked down in a good debate ,no lawyers there to tell them what to say or do ,just one on one and no punches pulled or quarter given

 

Like trying to listen to a conversation in a disco, tha missed nowt.

[logiebaird]

Or a statement by Alistair Cambell .......... FFS someone find the off switch if thats the only way to stop his publicity seeking lies.

[Grandad.Malky]

I dont think being 'democratically elected' gives someone an exclusive on the right of freedom of expression, we all should enjoy that, it just gives them the right to participate in parliamentary business and debates.

 

Aren’t all 'democratically elected' political parties entitled to air space to promote their party, my point was who decides which extremist organisations should get the same right.

 

Alex C given your logic would you give a murderer air space to defend themselves purely because they had been in the news.

[boyfriday]

I was a little disapointed in the interview. I thought Paxman, who is normally excellent, allowed Choudary to turn it into little more than a slagging match. Choudary completely talked over the other interviewee and Paxman did little to stop him. Would have been nice to hear some of Choudary's answers to some questions.

 

But the bonus was Choudary came out of it very badly and it was a unique situation in that he was being challenged directly on TV by another Muslim, remember, many members of the British public believe all Muslims sing from Choudary's song sheet.

[boyfriday]

Aren’t all 'democratically elected' political parties entitled to air space to promote their party, my point was who decides which extremist organisations should get the same right.

 

I agree, all I said was they didnt have an 'exclusive' to it.

 

I guess the rights of other organisations is decided by news editors, Ive never seen so much of Anjem Choudary since he decided to offend the people of Wooton Bassett.

 

I suppose if the hierarchy in Combat 18 or the National Front made public their intention to march through Muslim areas of London and Luton, they'd attract a similar number of column inches and media attention.

[boyfriday]

Or a statement by Alistair Cambell .......... FFS someone find the off switch if thats the only way to stop his publicity seeking lies.

 

But we'd never know how much of a lying tosspot Alastair Campbell was unless he was exposed on television..another one who comes out badly from that kind of scrutiny.

[Grandad.Malky]

I suppose if the hierarchy in Combat 18 or the National Front made public their intention to march through Muslim areas of London and Luton, they'd attract a similar number of column inches and media attention.

 

But would they be allowed on such a high profile news program

[Kidorry]

At last the national media have given moderate Muslims an opportunity to challenge the extremists and state their position, of course confirming what most of us already know about mainstream Muslims.

 

Public Enemy No 1, Anjem Choudary was eaten alive by Maajid Nawaz of the Quilliam Foundation (http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/about-us.html) on yesterday's edition of Newsnight.

 

Among the challenging points raised by Nawaz were how much Choudary had claimed in benefits from the British, how hypocritical he was by using his freedom to speak to promote the restriction of freedom for others and whether he would have him executed as a traitor to Islam.

 

It's compulsive viewing and even the usually Rottweiller-like Paxman sat back like a puppydog, watching Nawaz tear into a clearly out of his depth Choudary-which demonstrates the benefits of allowing people like Choudary the freedom to speak, they will invariably shoot themselves in the foot and highlight the flaws in their own argument.

 

The fun begins about 24 mins into the programme on BBc iPlayer.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pyhj5/Newsnight_12_01_2010/

 

I watched it BF and I think that the people like Nazwaz should be given more air time to express the other side of Islam.It was a treat to see Paxman sitting there saying nothing.I think he was enjoying it.