tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post7270710712897887243..comments2024-02-21T08:52:55.878+00:00Comments on Your Freedom and Ours: Lord Pearson's memorandumHelenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-29702053652713300312015-11-26T16:27:53.995+00:002015-11-26T16:27:53.995+00:00I assume you are talking about HMG proposing to in...I assume you are talking about HMG proposing to inspect and shut down extremist mosques, madrassah etc rather than the Memorandum, which only says we should discuss Islam. I can see nothing wrong with discussing any religion and see no reason for Islam being excluded. As to the HMG proposals, I would agree with you about the difficulties. Hence my comment about non-violent extremism. After all, there are people who seriously describe anyone who is for Brexit as being extremist. So, it is difficult. <br /><br />However, there are two important issues. One is of security, as you have mentioned. The other is the creation of social and legal ghettoes, which is something no country or society can have. Teaching religion is one thing - separating people out for religious reasons and creating fences around them is something else. That is what some of the mosques and madrassahs as well as the sharia courts do.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-40258729066625081462015-11-25T12:00:47.076+00:002015-11-25T12:00:47.076+00:00I'm genuinely torn on this one. The libertaria...I'm genuinely torn on this one. The libertarian in me says that people should be free to associate as they please, and only be stopped if they commit some illegal acts. It might also fall into the be careful what you wish for category. In the current climate lots of perfectly reasonable things are likely to be re-classified as extremist, and those calling for this sort of restriction might find themselves coming into its remit. There's also the argument that it would be difficult to police, and simply drive it all further underground, where it would be harder to track these people, therefore perversely reducing our security.<br /><br />And yet we've clearly got to something, because this is a real threat to our security. It has to be the right something though.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17384748465626907587noreply@blogger.com