“The foreign media are awash with references to ‘Londonistan’, describing how this country has become a safe haven for Islamic extremists – ‘a crossroads for terror’ according to the New York Times. They also voice incredulity that the malign impact of multiculturalism and political correctness has for years seen Britain segregated into inward-looking communities that eschew British values while the forces of law and order walk on eggshells, desperate not to offend.

“The Americans have a point. As extremist clerics preach a gospel of hate, we wring our hands but do nothing. Should we then be surprised when impressionable young men heed their words and act, with horrific results?

“Far from silencing the extremists, we welcome them. Tariq Ramadan, an Egyptian academic who has justified acts of terrorism is coming to this country – invited by the Metropolitan Police! It’s beyond parody. This is the same force whose Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick said after the bombs: ‘As far as I’m concerned Islamic and terrorist are two words that do not go together.’…

“The author Irshad Manji wrote wisely this week that moderate Muslims must condemn terrorism, abandon the ‘myth’ that Islam has nothing to do with the atrocities, and reject Islamic infallibility.”

Editorial in the Daily Mail, 13 July 2005