Rod Liddle's description of "Somali Muslim savages" has been criticised by leading UK Muslims, as has his insinuation that the Left do not criticise extremism.
Rod Liddle’s description of “Somali Muslim savages” and the implication that British Muslims and the Left are uncritical of practices such as beheading, stoning and mutilation – and seek to silence such criticism – have been brushed aside by leading mainstream Muslims.
Maajid Nawaz, Director of the Quilliam Foundation, told Left Foot Forward:
“If it’s offensive, it’s offensive, and it should be criticised and we’ll criticise it – and we’ll get criticised for that. But the people criticising us are themselves the extremists.
“Where Rod Liddle gets into trouble is when putting this together with everything else.”
Liddle, who’s in the running to be the next editor of the Independent – which Left Foot Forward reported yesterday – had written in the Spectator on November 19:
“Time for a quick update on what the Muslim savages are up to. Here’s a story from today’s Daily Mail, with a cut-out-keep picture, of Somali Muslim savages stoning to a twenty year old woman for the crime of adultery.“
He concluded his article with a sarcastic sideswipe at Somalis:
“Incidentally, many Somalis have come to Britain as immigrants recently, where they are widely admired for their strong work ethic, respect for the law and keen, piercing, intelligence.”
And on Saturday, in a column on the now-abandoned Islam4Uk march through Wootton Bassett, he wrote:
“F*** off back to where you’re from, then, you Muslims.”
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43 Responses to “Latest Liddle outburst: “F*** off back to where you’re from, then, you Muslims.””
Tom
@Balham Bugle – surely the blog is not ‘accusing’ Liddle of those things: it’s merely revealing that he is those things. You fail to offer any defence of the man whatsoever, probably because his own words say so much about him.
Anon E Mouse
Tom – And in keeping with the moderators on this blog, again you ask for a defence of the man rather than commenting on the opinions he holds.
You display all the Gordon Brown / Derek Draper / Damian Mcbride “attack the man – never engage in his argument” traits people find so unpleasant about New Labour in this country.
I don’t care about Liddle – he’s not important but please Tom, tell me you surely don’t believe homosexuals should be publicly flogged then hanged for the way they were born? Is that not a more important point to debate here?
You surely don’t believe it is right to stone a woman to death for adultery or need the word of four male witnesses for a woman to prove rape?
Liddle speaks to normal decent people in this country whether you agree with his views or not.
Fortunately Tom, people who refuse to condemn that kind of disgraceful behaviour by a minority of religious nutters because the party they support need their minority votes are also in a minority.
Unless of course you go against all your instincts Tom and actually address the argument instead of running down the messenger….
Adam Bell
Actually, Anon E Mouse, I believe Will provided the appropriate argument yesterday. The point isn’t that people who stone women to death for adultery aren’t savages, but rather that tarring all Muslims with the same brush is unfair. It’s comparable to referring to the Blackwater staff who killed 17 unarmed Iraqis as ‘Christian Mercenaries’. They may’ve been Christian, but I’m sure you wouldn’t wish to imply that all Christians are paid money to slaughter innocent people.
Eddy
This issue is only going to get bigger. It’s seriously worrying that the Spectator would print such puerile bigotry.
Anon E Mouse
Adam Bell – Which is why I said “disgraceful behaviour by a minority of religious nutters” with emphasis on the minority.
I don’t tar all Muslims with the same brush but unlike other people posting here I completely condemn that type of behaviour, no ifs or buts.
The system of democracy and freedom we have in this country, whilst obviously not as good as the one in America (I mean the monarchy and constitutions where the voters can get rid of useless administrations unlike Europe) is light years anything I see in Muslim countries.
Our system is better – simple as that.
I don’t want to celebrate any cultural diversity in Britain that results in woman being forced to cover head to foot in black robes in 2010 – that barbaric anti-woman attitude should be condemned at every step by all free thinking peoples. Hey Will Straws dad agrees with me…
Liddle may not put it in an elegant way but the sentiment is correct – if you want to try to force your medieval practices in our country just go away.