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Islamist Intimidation Is Poisoning British Politics

(Telegraph-UK) Danny Cohen - The recent British election showed how urgent it is that we fight back to preserve our civic and democratic values. The intimidation started on the streets. On October 7, as Jewish families were being butchered by Hamas terrorists, Islamists celebrated in London. They danced with joy and flew Palestinian flags from car windows. A large group cheered and set off fireworks. No Jew could feel entirely safe anywhere near these celebrations of a racist massacre. The regular pro-Palestine marches have also been poisoned by Islamist intimidation. There have been those who have proudly worn Hamas insignia, called loudly for the destruction of the State of Israel, repeated genocidal chants, and ripped down posters of kidnapped children. Now the intimidation has moved to the ballot box. In the general election campaign, Jess Phillips MP used her election night victory speech to describe the abuse and intimidation she, her team and her constituents experienced in recent weeks. Campaign activists faced intense harassment. "In my constituency, the humiliation was by men, to women," Phillips explained. We should not be surprised that aggressive misogyny is part of the Islamist political playbook. Shabana Mahmood MP described an election campaign that "was sullied by harassment and intimidation" of her family and campaigners, calling the behavior an "assault on democracy itself." Mahmood cited a community meeting that was disrupted by masked men, "terrifying" those in attendance, and was forced to respond to opponents who branded her "an infidel." It is reasonable to question why some campaigning to become MPs at this general election seemed to make Gaza their sole focus. It seems that only the war against the Jewish state can provide sufficient motivation for these candidates to stand for Parliament. While democracy means that people can legitimately campaign on a single issue if they want to, the way this campaigning has been conducted falls disturbingly short of the standards we must expect from those seeking to take positions of responsibility or power within our society. A peaceful democracy depends on allowing MPs to go about their business safe from intimidation and threats, freedom of movement without fear for all members of society, and a zero tolerance approach to racism and misogyny. Beyond this, we must all take note of this growing threat to the democratic and civil values that we hold so dear. It is not just Jews who must be aware of the threat of Islamism. Any movement that is defined by intolerance, sexism and prejudice is a danger to us all and should be treated as such by everyone who wants to preserve a free and peaceful society. The writer was the director of BBC Television (2013-15).
2024-07-11 00:00:00
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