Cherie Blair Defends Islam

Mark Richardson over at Oz Conservative recently wrote an excellent post about the conversion of Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, to Islam.

He cites an article written by Peter Hitchens back in 2003, about the prospect of Britons embracing Islam as they realise they need a kind of moral structure, but are so brainwashed against Western society and their own heritage they cannot comprehend turning to Christianity, and as the influence of Christianity wanes and that of Islam grows all around them:

When Christianity was part of our culture and its beliefs were handed down in homes and schools, its familiarity kept it strong. Everyone knew Bible stories, hymns and prayers. Now it is at least as alien to many young people as Islam, if not more so because it does not seem to be interested in them.

But Islam is interested in them. And Islam is growing. More and more British cities have seen the domes and minarets of smart, prominently positioned new mosques rising in their neighbourhoods.

A large and imposing Islamic centre is now nearing completion in Oxford, one of Christian England's holiest places. Imagine what would happen if Anglicans sought to build a Christian centre in Qom, Isfahan, Najaf or anywhere on the soil of Saudi Arabia, and wonder what Muslim leaders think of Christian feebleness on such matters.

Thanks to the immigration of recent decades, Britain has a young, energetic and swelling Muslim population which is increasingly assertive about its faith.

Lauren Booth is basically the new Yvonne Ridley, a Leftist journalist who has dedicated much of her life to Islamic or pseudo-Islamic causes, particularly the struggle of the "Palestinians". Like Ridley, she has also worked for the Iranian-funded television station Press TV.

I can recall an article Booth wrote in The Sun at least 10 years ago in which she lambasted Israeli border security agents for questioning her about a large number of anti-American leaflets and a Yasser Arafat-style headscarf "she just liked to wear sometimes" present in her luggage, as if all normal, self-respecting people travel with such things.

Now she's taken that extra step, and claims to be reading her way through the Koran and considering wearing a burqa "if she feels like it".

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Muslim women are not free to "feel like it", and suffer beatings, acid attacks or worse if they don't comply with the wishes of their men-folk, Booth, like Ridley before her, has pretty much called Islam an enlightened, female-friendly faith - in fact she recently boasted in the Mail on Sunday about propagandising it to her young daughters.

Many have dismissed her as an idiotic attention-seeker, and I'm sure there is a healthy dose of truth in this.

Her sister Cherie "if it's not nailed down it's a freebie" Blair, wife of Tony, has now waded into the row - not to defend her sister, but Islam:

The former Prime Minister's wife also claimed that it was “not true” that women who covered up were oppressed and “incapable” of thinking for themselves. Her comments, in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, follow Lauren Booth's claims that the religion has given her “a new sense of respect”.

“We use the appearance of women as a metaphor of our fear of a supposed Islamic threat,” she told the El Pais newspaper. “There are thousands of Muslims in Europe who participate in our way of life and intend continuing to do so and if they want to dress in a certain way because of their beliefs, we shouldn't feel threatened. It's important to fight against certain stereotypes that affect above all Muslim women. We tend to believe they're oppressed, insecure and incapable of thinking for themselves and that is not true.

“One of the things I try to do is help to explain that Islam is an open religion in which women have influence, whether they hide their hair or not.” Asked about Miss Booth's conversion, she replied: “It's her choice.”

Interesting. This would be the "supposed Islamic threat" that her husband is currently making an awful lot of money speaking about, presumably.

The "supposed Islamic threat" that recently attempted to murder one of his former Parliamentary colleagues, amongst other things.

What particularly strikes me is that Cherie Blair probably knows as much, and cares as much, about the life of an illiterate, covered Pakistani woman in Bradford as she does about the life of normal working English people - i.e. nothing, and not at all if it doesn't benefit her, preferably in monetary terms.

She's hardly a neutral voice, however; back in February, Cherie was working part-time as a judge at Inner London Crown Court. One of the cases that came before her was that of Shamso Miah, 25, who had been charged with breaking the jaw of a fellow customer whilst queuing in a bank.

Miah is a Muslim (as is the victim), and had just left his local mosque before the incident took place.

Here's what took place in court:

The unemployed first-time offender, from Redbridge, north-east London, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Yet despite saying violence on our streets 'has to be taken seriously' Mrs Blair, a QC who professionally uses her maiden name Cherie Booth, let him walk free from court.

She told him: 'I am going to suspend this sentence for the period of two years based on the fact you are a religious person and have not been in trouble before.

'You caused a mild fracture to the jaw of a member of the public standing in a queue at Lloyds Bank.

'You are a religious man and you know this is not acceptable behaviour.'

Miah was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Can you seriously imagine her treating a Christian so leniently simply on account of the fact he was religious? Frankly, I can't.

The National Secular Society lodged an official complaint about her conduct, outraged by the idea that all offenders are apparently not equal before her and religious belief could apparently bring about a lighter sentence.

Of course, Cherie came up smelling of roses:

An investigation found her decision to give a lenient punishment to a 'religious person' did not amount to misconduct.

Yesterday the Office for Judicial Complaints said 'no disciplinary action is necessary'.

Nope, no disciplinary action necessary - because this perfectly sums up the mindset of the liberal elite. Non-Western good, Western bad.

Context, circumstances, actual facts - they simply don't matter.

That's why Cherie should stand by her sister - the kind of cognitive dissonance whereby someone is horrified to find themselves in a Roman Catholic Church because of the "atrocities" committed in the name of that creed, but will happily not only join one of the most aggressive, bloodthirsty, totalitarian and misogynistic ideologies humanity has ever know, but also boast about it and shill for it to her daughters cannot be found often.

Perhaps it's a family trait?