Huff and puff
Editorial, The Pioneer
January 28, 2008.

Three Little Pigs blown away

Within months of Mr Tony Blair's departure from 10, Downing Street, the British establishment under Labour tutelage has once again begun to flounder on the issue of multiculturalism. Last year, Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly had raised valid doubts about the efficacy of Britain's policy of promoting multiculturalism at the expense of British culture and come to the conclusion that Whitehall's appeasement of Muslim immigrants has helped in neither integrating them with mainstream society nor in blunting the razor sharp edges of Islamism. On the contrary, preachers of radical Islamism and hate-mongers masquerading as imams had begun to blame multiculturalism for "perverting young Muslims". Surprisingly, there was much support from the Left for Ms Kelly's views which now appear to have been set aside by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Cabinet. It would appear Muslim votes have begun to weigh as heavily on Mr Brown's mind as that of the man who heads the Government of India. For, like the UPA regime in Delhi, the Labour Government in London too has decided to embrace negationism and denial as policy. Why else would Mr Brown's Cabinet colleagues be instructed to refer to Islamic terrorism and fanaticism not in those many words but as "anti-Islamic activity"? So, if the London Underground were to be bombed again or trans-Atlantic passenger planes were to be blown up by Islamists, Her Majesty's Government would officially describe them as "anti-Islamic activity"!

Meanwhile, enthused by Whitehall's rediscovery of merit in appeasing those who repudiate all that is good about British democracy, society and culture, and insist that the Union Jack should be replaced with the green banner of Islam, judges at a competition for digital children's classics have rejected Three Little Pigs on the grounds that it is likely to "offend Muslims". The competition was organised by the British Government's technology agency for schools. The judges's comments are telling: "The idea of taking a traditional tale and retelling a story is fine, but it should not alienate parts of the workforce. Judges would not recommend this product to the Muslim community in particular." This is worse than the jihad launched by votaries of political correctness who have changed 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' into 'Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep', dropped the 'Seven Dwarfs' from Snow White so as not to offend the vertically challenged, and ensured that Humpty Dumpty is put back again for the sake of sensitive children. Since Islam does not take kindly to dogs, will Britain now consider banning them from British homes?