To be a non muslim

To be a non Muslim is a broad canvas. 

In terms of faith one can be as devout as a Muslim or a person of no religious faith at all. 

One can cover ones head as a symbol of pious observance or laugh at the concept of symbolising something superior to mankind. One can be Congregational by nature or sit alone observing others in wonderment at their diversity. The culture you were brought up under can have a strong or a weak effect on your views and everyday character. 

These are just some of the myriad traits which define who we are and, in essence, define us as diverse and different, not only our differences from being a Muslim, but from each other so why then are we having this conversation.

Well obviously the context has to do with the incidence of faith based violence in other parts of the world and the potential for it to spread onto our shores.

Why have these pockets of extreme violence, which go beyond anything we have seen on this scale for years, been perpetrated in the name of Religion. 

What has happened over the last 14 years, since the 9/11 attack symbolised a major retaliation by al Qaeda (in its role as a militant Islamic organisation founded by Osama bin Laden in 1988/89 out of the Afghanistan struggle with the Soviets), to what it saw as western imperialism

Is it purely the strength and success of the militant wing of the religion or is it that this religion is unique in having a militant wing at all. 

Muslims reading this page will no doubt disassociate themselves from any link to "militancy" as they pursue their faith but it can't be ignored that these militants ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda all proclaim to sail under the flag of Islamic faith and are an interpretation of Islamic determinism. 

Perhaps it's this concept of "determinism", the concept that every event, every human action is preceded by conditions that could cause "no other" event, that they are unique and have an inevitability which gives the Jihad his strength and which we, in our wish-washy consumeristic world, fear the most.

Give that as it may, we are faced with a force of nature, a massive world wide, faith based interpretation of how life should be lived in strict observance of rules, with strict punishments for ignoring those rules and which finally believes that they are unique in the eyes of God. 

There is no delicate way to put this. The power of that force, unless it reinterprets its belief in Gods omnipotence (for a Muslim impossible) or their overarching social construct regarding the way people live and conduct themselves which is in stark contrast to the way, at least we in the West are proceeding, then there's bound to be a clash at some time in the future for society at large to fall under the sway of Sharia Law.

Militancy can be covert as well as overt and the radicalisation of disenchanted youth under a united banner is a powerful disrupting influence in any society, especially in the era of globalisation where national allegiance is diminishing and people are becoming bewildered.
What do we do and should we do anything ?

If we simply drift along and hope that the immersion of cultures and beliefs will be sufficient to bring about some sort of equilibrium then I think the falseness of that premise is beginning to appear in our urban society. There is and will continue to be a massive tolerance shown by all sides but for the "non Muslim" there is no "focus" as to what his stance should be other than a capitulation of what he would call, his beliefs and way of life. In fact he / she has been on the back-foot for a number of years, accused in the media and the establishment that it was racist or somehow not British to point out a discomfort as the towns were changed in their racial and now religious construct. Things will turn out ok, "we know what's in your best interests don't worry".

Well people are beginning to worry. One has to accept that there is no turning back but we are perfectly right to suggest that from now on there has to be some ground rules even if these rules appear to fly against the semi religious fervour of the 'political correct' ideology which has held us in sway for a generation.