Lee Anderson, without question, was wrong. For all his faults, Sadiq Khan is not controlled by Islamists.

Delicate balance

Despite being a Muslim, he’s an infidel as far as true Islamists are concerned – having voted for gay marriage, having lit up City Hall in the colours of the Israeli flag following October 7, and having made efforts to proscribe the political wing of Hezbollah. 

This does not mean, however, that Islamists do not present a serious problem to the UK, and to the world – indeed, to democracy itself. They certainly do, as we have seen during the row over the House of Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, who broke precedent to allow a vote that would enable Labour MPs to appease threatening Islamist constituents. Khan himself is one faces Islamist death threats, while Tory MP Mike Freer felt forced to resign recently due to similar life-threatening behaviour. 

this current row shows just how delicate the balance really is between facing the threat posed by extremists with keeping the more moderate Muslim population feeling that this is their country too.

But this current row shows just how delicate the balance really is between facing the threat posed by extremists, with keeping the more moderate Muslim population feeling that this is their country too.

Contrasting stories

For me, two entirely different encounters with Muslims highlighted this dichotomy when I was still a student.

In sixth form, a close friend of Indian heritage started going out with a Muslim boy. Before then, she had been fully a part of our circle of friends – yet this young man poisoned her view of me, and our other, all-white friends, as ‘slags’. His opinion of white, Western girls was so disdainful that her opinion changed, which culminated in an explosive argument and the destruction of a seven-year long friendship group. When I hear now of the grooming gangs in places like Rochdale, fed by this undercurrent of hatred of white girls, I remember this young man, and his contempt of women, in particular, who didn’t share his faith.

The other encounter, however, was entirely positive. As a student of French, I spent my third year the University of Clermont Ferrand, in central France. My friends and I lived in what would best be described as a boarding house, run by an Algerian Muslim family. They were devout Muslims, who prayed regularly, and sought to care for those in trouble.

The parents, both doctors, actually spent quite a bit of time back in war-torn Algeria – which was fighting its own devastating Islamist movement – risking their lives caring for the sick and wounded there, leaving their student son in charge of the boarding house for spells. In this house, they welcomed a number of students each year from across Europe – and it didn’t matter to them that we weren’t Muslim. Despite not drinking alcohol themselves, we were all welcome to partake. The owner sought to care for all her sometimes-homesick guests in a motherly fashion, which was greatly appreciated.

In this house, they welcomed a number of students each year from across Europe – and it didn’t matter to them that we weren’t Muslim.

I got on very well with my fellow students, but, as a Christian, found that the most profound and helpful conversations were ones held with this lady and her son, as we talked about matters of faith, finding areas of common ground, deepening our understanding of each other’s religion. Theirs was a religion of devotion to Islam, but of tolerance, of respect, of love for others.

Islam as theocratic ideology

That was in France, but there are many Muslims in this country who are equally decent people, ones for whom ‘multi-culturalism’ actually means something positive for us all.

However, within Islam itself, despite there being many for whom this is a peaceable religion, with strong morals, a community focus, and a devotion to prayer, there is a very dark side. And this comes from its very foundations – from the Qu’ran itself, and from the spiritual forces that inspired it.

This comes, however, not, in the main, from the moral side, or even the call to worship Allah – for their belief is in one god, albeit with a somewhat distorted understanding. But it comes from the religious impetus contained within it to subdue the whole world for Islam. It is, essentially, a political, theocratic system, one which seeks to impose Islam on all of society.

It is, essentially, a political, theocratic system, one which seeks to impose Islam on all of society.

And that is where its danger lies. To be ‘radicalised’ means, in the main, to be converted to this view of Islam – no longer a personal and community faith, rather, a worldview that demands the dominance of this ideology. For these, there is no middle ground, or ‘live and let live’ attitude, but one that is driven by an absolutism that cannot be reasoned with.

I mentioned the Islamist-provoked civil war in Algeria. A quote by one of the founders of the Islamic Salvation Front, the Islamist group that ultimately won that war, may help to understand the ideology that is so dangerous to democracy everywhere. “There is no democracy because the only source of power is Allah through the Koran, and not the people. If the people vote against the law of God, this is nothing other than blasphemy. In this case, it is necessary to kill the non-believers for the good reason that they wish to substitute their authority for that of God.” (Ali Benhadj, 1989)

Enforcing the faith

This is why our MPs, and our democratic system, are so under threat – and why we have had the murder of David Amess, and the forced resignation of Mike Freer. This is why our other MPs now need bodyguards.

It is the same ideology that means that organisations such as Hamas will never stop trying to destroy Israel – they believe that as that land that was once known as Palestine was once controlled by Muslims, it should always be so – and it is a holy war to win it back. Liberal Christians who bleat about Israel as an occupier do not realise that they are giving voice to the Islamist terrorist movement that believes that Israel should not exist as it is Muslim land. No two-state solution will solve this, much as it, in theory, should be ideal.

Liberal Christians who bleat about Israel as an occupier do not realise that they are giving voice to the Islamist terrorist movement that believes that Israel should not exist as it is Muslim land.

Christianity once fell for the idea that faith could be enforced on others – but it was an aberration – something that is not endorsed by any of the New Testament. It is a faith that is spread by persuasion, by love, by self-sacrifice of the highest kind (not as a suicide bomber). But the enforcement of faith is embedded in the Qu’ran, for all that it contains echoes of a better way of life.

How can it be defeated, then? Muslims themselves have often tried to do so – this has been at the heart of much of the troubles in the Islamic world. Yet it is an ongoing battle. There is a good reason that Egypt refuses to take in Palestinian refugees from the current conflict in Gaza, which would relieve much of the suffering of the malnourished innocent population: they do not want to risk importing any more Islamists into a country already struggling with its own – and Gaza is full of them, brainwashed and radicalised by their own leaders.

A way forward

So, the answer cannot come from within Islam, though genuinely moderate leaders can and should be supported to prevent radicalisation. Yet, we certainly need an honesty about the reality of the threat – brushing it under the carpet will not work.

As Christians, we need to understand what we are up against – that we are dealing with the dark forces of an unseen power.

The problem of Islamism is in part a political issue, and of course requires to be appropriately dealt with by our ruling authorities; namely, the government, the judiciary and the police.¹ 

As Christians, we need to understand what we are up against – that we are dealing with the dark forces of an unseen power; “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).

At the same time, we need to recognise that we are dealing with individuals of a differing religious faith, whom we are called to love unconditionally and to be gracious towards. (For there are Muslims who are appalled at what Islamists do in their name, and some have faced increased antagonism in recent times.)

Let us seek to adopt the approach of the apostle Paul, who:

1. was clear who our real enemy truly is – “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12)
   
2. taught us how to fight spiritual attacks, with the armour of truth, righteousness, faith, the word of God, and the readiness to share the gospel (Eph 6:10-18)
   
3. exhorted us to pray continually (1 Thes 5:17) and present our requests to God in everything (Phil 4:6-7)
   
4. found common ground with those he met and reasoned with them – having spent time finding out more about their culture and views to open the door to conversing with them (Acts 17)
   
5. most of all, seasoned everything with love:“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor 13: 4-7)

Endnote
1. For some excellent further reading on the more political aspect of this topic, read here, here, here, here and here.