Straw warns against extremist ideology

A FORMER Labour Cabinet minister has expressed support for David Cameron’s pledge to counter “non-violent” as well as violent Islamist extremism, writes Elena Curti.

Speaking at an event in London on Tuesday to commemorate The Tablet’s 175th anniversary, Jack Straw, who served as both Home and Foreign Secretary, said he understood what the Prime Minister meant. He talked about how Islamist rhetoric could influence young minds.

“It’s the slippery slope argument. They are led to subscribe to more and more extreme propositions just short of violence which can lead to deeper alienation from the rest of society and reach the point where you look on other strands as infidels you have to eliminate.

“I don’t want to see restrictions on discourse but I do want to see an end to terror,” said Mr Straw at Westminster Cathedral Hall on Tuesday evening.

He pointed out that religious literacy was a particular problem in Islam because – with the exception of Shia Islam – it is not a hierarchical faith and therefore has no proper sources of authority.

Mr Straw, a former MP for Blackburn, which has a high Muslim population, was taking part in a panel discussion on the conflict between freedom of speech and respect for faith groups organised by The Tablet and St Mary’s University, Twickenham.  Also on the panel was Francis Campbell, former UK Ambassador to the Holy See and now Vice Chancellor of St Mary’s University, and Adrian Pabst, author of Blue Labour: Forging a New Politics.