The first step in tackling this twisted hate
The nation has been rightly sickened by the events that took place in Woolwich on Wednesday. That a serving soldier can be killed in a machete attack in a suburban street, supposedly in the name of religion, is abhorrent.
In response, David Cameron has stayed calm, saying that Britain will remain firm in its stand against terror. But it is clear that the Government needs to do something to tackle the elements that led to the slaughter of Lee Rigby.
For many years now, we have seen continued invective from extremist preachers. We treasure freedom of speech in this country, so our only powers against them are if they break any laws, such as committing public order offences or inciting racial hatred.
Combined efforts: David Cameron's new task force will have input from senior ministers including the British Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured)
Yet the radicalisation by extremists of two young converts to Islam appears to be at the heart of what happened in Woolwich. In this paper today, hate preacher Omar Bakri tells how he radicalised 28-year-old suspect Michael Adebolajo, who subsequently met 22-year-old Michael Adebowale at the University of Greenwich.
And friends of Adebowale’s mother have told how she despaired as her son became more and more radicalised.
With David Cameron’s plan to have a task force of senior Government Ministers devoted to tackling extremism, we are seeing a fresh attempt to rid the country of the scourge of radicalisation.
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This task force will look at new ways to tackle and disrupt extremist activity, and see how society can be better integrated.
There is no doubt that there are places where radicalisation is not being sufficiently challenged. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Carlile writes today about how, while at the University of Greenwich, Michael Adebolajo would have been able to hear hate preachers. He calls for universities to be more vigilant over what kind of debates and talks are being held on their premises.
And hopefully the Prime Minister’s task force can find ways of helping the Muslim community itself tackle extremism. The Muslim Council of Britain, the country’s most prominent Islamic organisation, has condemned the killing of Lee Rigby, continuing its commendable record of distancing the Muslim population from extremists. But could they do more to combat extremism before events such as that at Woolwich occur?
Lee Rigby dedicated his working life to defending us. His slaughter on our streets horrified us all. Something new must be done to prevent such attacks occurring, whether to those in the Forces or not. David Cameron’s task force is an important first step.
Devastating: Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, who was brutally killed earlier this week in an act of despicable terrorism on the streets of Woolwich, South London
Who would you trust?
As head of Oxford University’s Climate Dynamics Group, Professor Myles Allen is one of the country’s most respected voices on climate change. In today’s Mail on Sunday he has indicated that every penny we are spending on reducing carbon emissions is a penny wasted.
In ten days, MPs will vote on whether to set a target of a 90 per cent reduction in CO2 output by 2030, just as many other countries are benefiting from heading in the other direction. The man proposing saddling us with the new target is MP and ‘green’ industry consultant Tim Yeo.
Who should MPs trust on this issue: Professor Allen or an MP who was last year paid almost £140,000 by ‘green’ companies?
