What was that about?

As people in many parts of the world remembered what happened ten years ago, there were services across Britain (let us not forget that British people died there and other British people lost family, friends and colleagues) and a one minute silence outside the US Embassy.

The rather ridiculous and objectionable Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) used the opportunity to burn the American flag and to shout anti-American slogans. Altogether there are four things to be noted about this story.

One is that there were about 100 of them, which is anything but terrifying.

Secondly, another group of Muslims travelled some distance to show their dislike for this behaviour.

However, a small opposing group of Muslims - some of whom had travelled hundreds of miles to rebut the extremists - staged a counter-demonstration nearby, holding up placards reading "Muslims Against Extremism" and "If You Want Sharia, Move To Saudi".

Abdul Sallam, 41, who was waving a sign that read "Keep The Silence", travelled down to London from his home in Glasgow to show the strength of his feelings.

He said: "I'm a Muslim. What they're doing is bringing shame on all Muslims. This is not part of the teachings of Islam.

"Islam teaches you that when you see anything bad or evil, you should speak out against it.

"If the moderate Muslims all came out and spoke out, that would defeat them.

"I am proud to be British. I love my country. All these people are doing is breaking Britain apart."

Good for Mr Sallam who was not afraid to give his name to the journalists.

Thirdly, the police behaved somewhat stupidly by moving EDL demonstrators (all 60 of them) from their place in order to let the MAC stand there. How to ensure that you look biased in favour of the enemy, eh? Who on earth gave them the instructions?

And lastly, what are we to make of these pathetic gestures of defiance that are allowed only because members of the MAC live under the despised or hated Western legal systems? Today, naturally enough, I discussed the events of that day ten years ago with other people and asked what exactly had those attackers achieved. Answer was, nothing.

The United States is still the strongest power in the world and its problems, mostly economic though some political, have nothing to do with any Muslim attempt to destroy it. In fact, there is a sense of political renewal in that country that we, on this side of the Pond, can only envy.

The two (not counting Libya) wars have taken their toll, as wars always do, but they have not destroyed the country or its political structure and, despite the most stalwart efforts on the part of the American main-stream media, did not destroy the Bush presidency. Obama is doing his best to destroy his own, but that is another story.

The Muslim countries are not doing very well; nothing good has come out of the 9/11 attacks as far as they or Al-Qaeda are concerned. Ten years on, Islam is nowhere near taking over the world and the Khalifate is as far away as it ever was. What has been achieved? Nothing. If the West has problems with parts of the Muslim population that has nothing to do with those monstrous attacks ten years ago. The problems need to be solved but the first thing that needs to be acknowledged is the true impotence of the various Islamist organizations in the West, in this case in Britain. It is not surprising that they need to produce these ridiculous protests and desperate, almost hysterical outbursts. They are losing and it is hard to acknowledge.