The condemnation of Islam? Part 1

This is a transcript of an on-the-street interview between a Daybreak reporter and Anjem Choundary that took place Friday morning two days after the Woolwich attack (... indicate interruptions and speaking over each other) please forgive the punctuation.

Reporter: With me now is the radical preacher Anjem Choundary quite a controversial figure let's hear from you this morning if we can because we know you knew one of the suspects didn't you Michael Adebolajo and he came to some of your demonstrations are you responsible then for radicalising him?

Choundary: Well you know if you mean by radicalisation that people are calling for the sharia, they stand up for the men women and children who have been killed around the world because of the British foreign policy, that they are commanding good and forbidding evil, and of course raising their voice; then yeah I mean I have no problem with that whatsoever. Obviously in Britain...

Reporter: Are you horrified at what he's gone on to do them because it's one thing having different views isn't it?

Choundary: Well oddly enough you know we've had reaction from around the world from Muslim world for them because as a Muslim confronting a soldier for them he's courageous, for them he's a hero, it's not the same reaction as you have in a Muslim country.

Reporter: Many Muslims we've spoken to are absolutely horrified by what's happened here.

Choundary: In Muslim countries he's considered to be courageous and a hero. Obviously in this country we do believe, actually and I've expressed that before, that it's somewhat out for Muslims, as far as I believe, to target the non-Muslims because we live under them; you know with them under a common law of security, but not everyone adopts that opinion. What he did does have justification according to some schemes of thought and as I said I'm on the Muslim...

Reporter: Mr Choundary that's quite offensive to many Muslims in this country because I've spoken to lots of them and they are absolutely horrified and appalled by what's happened just a mile or so down the road from here.

Choundary: It could be, it could be that many people have been desensitised and, you know, they've grown up in the west, and in fact they have you know really given up their religion, but for the Muslims around the world the British government, remember, and their soldiers are at war with them and therefore they consider this to be an act really an operation against the enemy.

Reporter: So therefore you're responsible for radicalising him then are you holding for him to get these extreme views?

Choundary: Look you know there's nothing in fact there's nothing in fact called radicalisation in Islam. There's either Islam or there's not Islam if you're talking about Islam...

Reporter: If someone that you knew that has turned up to your sermons, demonstrations has gone on to commit murder on the streets of Britain in broad daylight in front of families and children you've got to you've got to condemn those attacks surely?

Choundary: No I don't think so I think we should condemn the hundreds of thousands of murders of innocent men women and children first who are the cause of this...

Reporter: These are arguments that you; Mr Choundary to be fair these are arguments that you have made in the past before...

Choundary: Well no that's a reaction, the thing is, the point is there's there's there's a...

Reporter: We've heard these arguments before would you consider yourself to...

Choundary: There's effect and result...

Reporter: Would you consider yourself to be a dangerous man them with your views that you that you have on people...?

Choundary: I think, I think, I think Islam is very very dangerous for non-Islam, for democracy and freedom; one day we'll implement it Britain. Obviously it's dangerous for those people who don't believe in God and don't want to live according to god's law, but...

Reporter: Mr Choundary for now we're going to have to leave it there we're going to speak to you later on throughout the programme and Matt it's now back to you and I'm sure this will create quite a lot of debate with or viewers this morning.

Studio: No doubt Jonathan thanks very much indeed

The obvious points that I'm sure most will take away is that he thinks that this attack is okay. Anjem specifically answers whether the attacks should be condemned with a "no"; however for me the most worrying points occur at the end of the interview "Islam is dangerous for non-Islam, for democracy, and freedom." Wow! That is it is "dangerous for those people who don't believe in God" etc. as an atheist can I read that as a threat against myself; could I please have this person arrested?

So this is a response from one person who the term "radical" has been applied it's possible to state that this isn't the default view of many practising Muslims which is why Anjem has to redefine them as having "given up on their religion". From his point of view if you are a Muslim this attack is justifiable; if you don't think it is then you are clearly not a Muslim.

Given that media chase ratings it's no surprise that they seek out people like Anjem Choundary to interview, but with what he spouts is it any wonder that Islamaphobia seems to be on the rise? Except why just anti-Islam. Not so much here, but jump the pond to the USA and take in the Christians burning down clinics and picketing homosexual occasions and the things they spout aren't that dissimilar. Why don't we see anti-Christian rallies and organisations rise up to the same degree?

Perhaps because here and in the USA Christianity is the dominant religion; even for those not raised directly the process of osmosis means they know about it. So while that sure there are some 'nutters' out there in the Christian movement most know they don't form a majority; that the hate they spout aren't the tenets of Christianity. As the minority within these countries the only window onto Islam comes from the ones who shout the most. Sadly what they shout is hate and intolerance so that is how their religion becomes depicted.

In part 2 I'll try to answer a question posed in a newspaper editorial - "Why do we expect the Muslim community as a whole to have a response and to respond to such actions?"