There is a false and dangerous game being played by progressive politicians and commentators around the world, including, sadly, by both contenders for the top job of Prime Minister of this country. And that is the ridiculous and insulting pretense that the religion of Islam is not really to blame for the never-ending terrorist atrocities that almost weekly pop up on our news feeds.

Let us be clear. Self-evidently, most Muslims neither desire, nor believe in, implementing in any tangible or literal manner the violent and extreme punishments proscribed in basic Islamic teachings for all manner of sins. But, unfortunately, by definition every single devout Muslim is nonetheless taught that the teachings of their religion include the most barbaric and savage retributions against many supposedly ungodly human activities that, thanks to the Enlightenment and centuries of democratic thought and freedoms, are not only tolerated but actively encouraged in today’s secular societies.

Whereas all religions may view some of these activities as undesirable, or even against the will of God, there is only one mainstream religion that seeks in numerous countries throughout the world to base its punishments on ancient religious practices.

The death and destruction that is regularly meted out by so-called Islamists to Jewish and Christian ‘infidels’, apostates, homosexuals, adulteresses and so forth are all taken not from the ravings of extremist madmen but taken from basic (and revered) Islamic religious tracts. Debate about whether the Orlando murderer was motivated by religiously-inspired homophobia, by his own apparent latent homosexuality, by his father’s Taleban leanings, by his own ‘self-radicalisation’ online or simply by his own peculiar convictions are all irrelevant. The unavoidable fact is that Islam views homosexuality as abhorrent and intolerable, and this particular individual’s reaction to it – although at the most extreme end of the spectrum – is nonetheless a reflection of traditional Islamic beliefs, as has been shown both by opinion polls within western Muslim communities and, of course, the discriminatory laws and behaviour (including murder) proscribed by some Islamic countries to their own homosexual citizens.

So why the pretense otherwise by those in positions of authority, from the President of the United States to our own Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull? So why, as Liberal Senator Eric Abetz points out in this issue, do so many progressives even have trouble uttering the word ‘Islam’, let alone criticising it? And why the false – as Chris Ashton points out – comparisons to other religious ‘extremist’ behaviour? Are our leaders so blinded by political correctness that they cannot see the truth in front of their own eyes?

Or do they think, like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, that we the public ‘can’t handle the truth’? Are we really so dim that if public figures keep reiterating the ludicrous ‘religion of peace’ three word mantra that somehow we will all collectively shrug with disinterest at each and every violent atrocity and say ‘OK, nothing much we can do about all this mayhem then, other than hope it doesn’t happen to us’?

Leadership fails when it refuses to acknowledge what Blind Freddy has already figured out; that a religion that is hostile to homosexuals and women, intolerant of certain art forms, music and free expression, loathes minorities such as Jews and regards all who are ‘non-believers’ as inferior, is incompatible with modern, secular democracy.

Leadership succeeds only when it is prepared to face up to serious threats and acknowledge the extent of them. Only then can practical, workable solutions be arrived at.

If our progressive, democratically-elected leaders refuse to name, let alone address concerns, the citizenry will simply turn to others to propose their own maverick solutions, as is now occurring throughout Europe and, of course, in the United States.

Islam, we have a problem. It’s up to Australia’s leaders to stop pretending otherwise, and to start figuring out what on earth we can all do about it.

Flat white

Coming soon to a social media device near you: the long-awaited Australian version of the extremely popular Spectator Coffee House blog.

It is with great delight that we announce the appointment of top political columnist Christian Kerr as editor of ‘Flat White’; the Speccie’s aussie online offering for all conversations and information about the latest happenings in the wonderful worlds of Australian politics, art and culture. Watch this space.

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