‘Muslims demand respect for the veil, but won’t tolerate Western values’

Leo McKinstry writes about the experience of undergoing a search at a London airport:

“I reflected on the irony that I was being forced into this tiresome and humiliating ritual because of the murderous actions of Islamic terrorists. Yet, at the same time, Muslim community leaders were fulminating at Jack Straw for daring to suggest, in the mildest terms, that women should remove their veils when visiting his Blackburn constituency surgery.

“There could not be a more glaring example of Muslim hypocrisy and over-sensitivity. Millions of airline passengers are now being subjected to the grossest inconvenience, delays and physical intrusion as a result of the global jihad being waged in the name of Allah.

“But instead of issuing an apology for this mayhem or standing up to their violent co-religionists, Muslim representatives continually bleat about their rights, endlessly parading their grievances, justifying terrorism and demanding special treatment.

“The crisis has exposed the deepening crisis over Muslims’ reluctance to integrate properly into our modern, democratic society…. Muslims constantly demand respect for all their attitudes, no matter how repulsive, barbaric, prejudiced or superstitious, but few show any willingness to embrace the tolerant values of Western democracy.”

Daily Express, 9 October 2006

Well, of course, if we ever need a demonstration of “the tolerant values of Western democracy”, Leo McKinstry will be our first port of call.