BROWN sidelines the "REAL" Issues



By Majed Iqbal

The unfortunate incidents of Glasgow and London have once again drawn the spotlight onto the Muslim community despite the “fresh” angle from PM Gordon Brown in not using the words 'Islam' or 'Muslim' in relation to the incidents that took place on Saturday.

However benevolent the new terminology may sound from a new prime Minister trying to create a sound image for public consumption, the facts remain the same, the targeted community through stops and searches and labeling remains the same and the underlying approach remains no different from the outgoing Prime Minister

Brown like Blair, has stifled the REAL discussion on the causes of such unacceptable activities on British soil; foreign policy.

Mr. Brown's new terrorism adviser, the former Metropolitan Police chief commissioner John Stevens, said al-Qaeda had imported "the tactics of Baghdad and Bali to our streets……And it will get worse before it gets better."

An honest and impartial observer would naturally question these remarks; "Is the debate to do with tactics or is it to do with the root causes that are propelling such behaviour?" Instead of scrutinizing his predecessors policies internationally, namely Iraq and Afghanistan, all Brown has done is re-word Blair’s Rhetoric in new dressing.

"We have to send a message that terrorists must not be allowed to disrupt our way of life" said Brown. Is that the case? Is it because terrorists hate British freedoms as the new home secretary Jacqui Smith put it?

It is high time that this new Prime Minister and his new cabinet washes the sins stained by the misadventures of colonial Tony to reap any real salvation and to ignite the correct debate in the UK on Foreign intervention into the political destinies of sovereign countries which ignite hatred that leads to such behaviour.

Its not words but time that will test the credentials of Brown.