I have been asked by a well-meaning friend to ‘like’ a poster [apparently recycled, when it should have been left in the recycling bin] on facebook. I would urge anyone to agree with me – respectfully – not to be so quick on the button! 
I
am, of course, writing as a non-Muslim, and my support they do not
need, but the attached M Niemoeller quote provides my raison
d'être.
The poster, in my mind at any rate, recalls – with a
degree of horror – the way the Nazi Germany often portrayed male Jews per
se as child-molesters. It did the trick – Machiavelli was only a
novice! Then the Jews – now the Muslims! They seem to get blamed a lot these days!
I do
not deny that some of the vilest crimes are committed under a
religious cloak, apparently quite literally so, judging by what one
reads about Roman Catholic priests that would have made the
inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah blush with shame! But it is
slanderous to insinuate that all Muslims or Roman Catholics are or
may be predators! Some wish it to be so, as it would confirm and
justify their malicious mind-set, but thankfully it ain’t necessarily so!
The
poster intends to provoke an unjustified suspicion, creating a
prejudice against Muslims, which I deeply deplore. The poster takes
no account of the fact that some Muslim children may also be victims!
The poster does not name its author; if it did, I would report him! The poster is morally and
utterly reprehensible!
Notwithstanding
Richard Dawkin’s warped views on paedophilia - and P Tatchell is
not far behind (let there be no misunderstanding about that!) -, I
expect every decent Muslim, Catholic, and also atheist to stand up
and condemn grooming, which is a terrible euphemism for a
particularly heinous crime! In a free society, all are equal under
the law, irrespective of how many legs [Muslim ones or not] one might
have, to misquote George Orwell!
For
sure, I resent paying taxes to keep the worst of criminals alive in
jail! Where the evidence is unassailable, the ultimate deterrent
should be reinstated for the most heinous crimes! The dead don’t
re-offend, and children can sleep safely in their own beds!
I cannot embrace Islam as I am a Christian by conviction, but to 'like' that poster would send out the wrong message to my friend and also my Muslim friends. No one should have to live under a cloud of suspicion. But let us not be naive, either. The poster says more about the anonymous author, then the wider Muslim community. There are occasions when we need to remind ourselves of our common humanity! It can be humbling but also enriching! And some things we should not only not like, but also speak out against!
