There is an excellent article written by Charlotte Littlewood that has been published by The Article magazine. The piece is on the subject of blasphemy against Islam and how this hatred, often murderous hatred, against alleged ‘blasphemers’ in Islam has been imported to the UK and is growing like a cancer in the UK Islamic community.

Ms Littlewood quite rightly highlights the plight of heterodox Muslims such as the Ahmediyya who are not just oppressed violently in their native Pakistan but also here in the UK as well. As many regular readers of this blog will by now understand, I have little issue with the Ahmediyya. They, like many of the Ismailis, have done the work necessary to create a silk purse out of a sows ear and built a form of Islam that tolerates other belief system and often is profoundly less misogynistic than other forms of Islam. Also, unlike the mainstream Sunni and Shia beliefs, I feel no threat from either the Ahmediyya or the Ismailis. They do their thing and they seem to be content to let me do mine, which in my view is how things should be.

Ms Littlewood said:

The infiltration of extreme anti-blasphemy politics into the British diaspora was highlighted horrifically in 2016 with the brutal murder of Asad Shah, a member of the Ahmadi Muslim sect, which is considered blasphemous by some. Shah was stabbed multiple times, dragged into the street and stamped on with such force that every bone in his face was broken. Afterwards, the murderer claimed that, “If I had not done this, others would have and there would be more killings and violence in the world.” He receives fan mail and visits from people who regard him as a hero.

Organisations heavily involved in promoting anti-blasphemy action are always aggressively and often violently opposed to the Ahmadi sect. Khatme Nubawaat and Dawat- e- Islami both have a connection in the UK and are both registered charities. Fundraising pots can be found on the streets of East London. Walk up Leyton High Street and you will find at least three.

Members of the Ahmadi sect describe how they no longer consider the UK as safe due to the extreme political thinking emanating from Pakistan. In a similarly shocking turn of events, Asad Shah’s family are now looking to leave the UK.

Doesn’t that final paragraph sum up the mess we are in regarding Islam in the UK? Those who come from genuinely peaceful branches of Islam are left to be oppressed and murdered whilst those who cheer on such murders and call for more are allowed free rein to carry on doing what they are doing.

Ms Littlewood then went onto to explain how despite the horrific murder of Asad Shah, those who approve of such ‘blasphemy’ murders are still allowed to enter the UK and go on speaking tours of mosques and Islamic community centres. Ms Littlewood also criticises the UK government for letting into the UK those who call for the deaths or oppression of Ahmediyya and other heterodox Muslims. The author quite rightly calls this course of action ‘dangerous’ and said it will become even more so as Pakistani politics becomes even more religiously conservative than it already is.

I would most strongly urge all readers of this blog who have an interest in Islam to read Ms Littlewood’s article in full. It is a most horrifying tale of how a UK government has seemingly aligned itself with the proponents of some of the worst forms of Islam on the planet and how that policy is putting at risk heterodox Muslims like the Ahmediyya and other Muslims who wish only to think freely and be free.  As Ms Littlewood said:  Britain has the legal frameworks to exclude and clamp down on these extremist Islamic hate preachers.  The question that I have is why are these frameworks not being used?