Hello all, long time no see and all that. Riddle me this.
For those not already in the know,
Pim was a gay, anti-immigration, liberal (supported euthanasia, gay marriage & a liberal drug policy) politician assassinated on the eve of the Dutch election in 2002.
His argument was, effectively that if Muslim immigrants felt that he should be stoned for his behaviour (as a homosexual) that there was no place for them in his country. Effectively he was arguing that if they we not willing to conform to Dutch cultural values they should not be allowed into the Netherlands. He saw Islam as a threat to the Dutch way of life and, to quote, that "I want to live together with the Muslim people, but a tango needs two". He saw freedom of speech as more important than freedom from discrimination.
I'm finding it pretty hard stuff to argue with really. The intellectual hemlock that is cultural relativism seems to have made the so-called left unable to defend its own values. It is too wrapped in seeing who can be more open minded to realise that there is a real and growing threat that we will lose and are losing the freedoms and values that our forefathers fought and died for. The lack of serious criticism of the Muslim council's assertion here that what is needed to curb terrorism is Islamic social law only serves to underline this.
My question is this, where are the militantly secular? Where are the died-hard freedom of speech advocates? Why is the immigration debate so simplistic and monochrome? When the label racist is used to silence debate the same way 'communist' was in 50s America is there not space for the political argument that to truly foster tolerance, we must actively and aggressively fight intolerance? How on earth is tolerating intolerance in the name of multiculturalism & diversity going to create a cohesive society? Why is no-one asking why the Church & the Mosque can attack homosexuality but plays & performances attacking religions are shut down by protest & threats? What's going on here? What's the way forward?