ErasmusReligionandpublicpolicy

IslaminBritain

NoCharlieshereFeb25th2015,16:57byB.C.

WEAREcertainlynotCharlie,butmostofus

(notall)canrelatetoAhmed.Thatwouldbeone

wayofsummarisingtheresultsofasurveyof

BritishMuslimopinionthatwaspublishedtoday

(http://comres.co.uk/polls/bbcradio4today

muslimpoll)bytheBBC.

You'llrememberthatintheimmediateaftermath

oflastmonth'sterroristoutragesinParis(thekillingof12peopleatCharlieHebdomagazine,

andthenanattackonakoshersupermarket,wherefourpeopledied)manydifferentslogans

poppedup."JesuisAhmed"wasapopularalternative(orcomplement)tothenearubiquitous

"JesuisCharlie".AhmedMerabetwasaFrenchMuslimpoliceofficerwhowaskilledinthe

Charlieattack,andhiscausewasadoptedinapopulartweet:"IamnotCharlie,IamAhmed

thedeadcop.CharlieridiculedmyfaithandcultureandIdieddefendinghisrighttodoso."

How,then,didrespondentstotheBBCpollsignaltheiridentificationwithAhmed?Some95%

ofrespondentssaidtheyfeltloyaltoBritain,and93%saidthatMuslimsshouldalwaysobey

Britishlaws.However78%agreedwiththestatementthatitwas"deeplyoffensive"topublish

imagesoftheprophetMuhammad,andworryingly,11%assentedtothepropositionthat

organisationswhichpublishsuchimages"deservetobeattacked".

Some68%agreedthat"actsofviolence"againstthosewhopublishimagesoftheprophet"can

neverbejustified"while24%couldnotconcurwiththatstatement.Indeedmorethan27%were

willingtoexpress"somesympathyforthemotives"behindtheattacksonCharlieHebdoin

Paris.

Howdoallthesefindingsfittogether?TheproportionofMuslimsdeclaringstrongloyaltyto

Britainwasinlinewithmanypreviouspolls,showingthatMuslimsprofesstobepatrioticand

lawabidinginslightlyhigherpercentagesthanotherBritonsdo.Itmaybeworthrecallingthat

manyBritishMuslimcommunitiesoriginatefrom,andstillidentifywith,deeplyconservative

placesinsouthAsia(ruralKashmirorBangladesh,forexample)whereloyaltytoestablished

authorityisawidelyacknowledgedvirtue.Islamitself,intheformthatistaughtinmanyBritish

mosquesandmadrassas,regardsobediencetoauthority(andtheavoidanceoffitnaor

anarchy)assomethingselfevidentlydesirable.

Thatdoesnotmean,though,thatMuslimsinBritain(or,Isuspect,mostotherWestern

countries)haveboughtintosecularistlibertarianism,whichregardsthe"righttoridicule"asan

importantentitlement.Amajorityaredeeplyunamusedbyantireligiouscartoonsbutofthose,

most,butnotall,arewillingtoreactstoically,eveniftheycanunderstandthosewhosestoicism

fails.

Thevastandinspiringdemonstrations,inParisandelsewhere,thatfollowedtheterrorist

attacksmighthavegivenmanypeopletheimpressionofanearuniversalconsensusonthe

sanctityoffreedomofspeech,includingoutrageousspeech.That,ifitwerecompletelytrue,

wouldbeanencouragingstartingpointforadrivetoopposethe"tiny"minoritywhodonot

entirelysharethatview.

Unfortunatelytheminorityisnottiny.Butitisprobablystillthecasethatmostcitizens,

includingmostMuslimcitizens,arewillingonbalancetoacceptthebargainof"freedomof

speechunderthelaw"inwhichthepainofhearingandseeingdeeplyunpleasantthingsis

worthenduringinexchangeforthelibertytosaythingswhichchallengeorupsetothers.Thatis

therealstartingpoint.