Nick Clegg has said again that Maajid Nawaz will not be dropped as a candidate, which is good. But in saying that he also said a lot of “I would never do that” bullshit, in other words basically agreeing that Maajid was a naughty boy. Not so good.
…the Lib Dem leader said: “He is not going to be dropped as a Liberal Democrat candidate. He has the right – as any Muslim, non-Muslim or anyone of any faith or none in this country has – to say things even if that causes offence to other people.
“It so happens that what he did does cause real offence to many, many Muslims in this country. All I would say is that we have to make sure that that debate, sensitive though it is, is conducted in a respectful way in moderate terms.
“I would not have tweeted that thing, clearly. I will defend anyone’s right to deploy the freedom of expression in this country. I’m not going to start censoring people in a free society.”
But you are going to start reproaching and tut tutting them, over something there should be zero qualms about from anyone. Don’t.
I do wish people in the public sphere would stop saying that. It is simply not knowable. Saying it is only echoing the bilge spouted by those who insist it is the case because it suits them to say so.
It’s like every middle class white bloke with an eye on public opinion feels obliged to demonstrate that he knows something about ‘themuslimcommunity’ and to show that he knows that they’re all special and serious and sincere in their beliefs.
That’s because you’re fucking spineless!
The big issue among liberals wringing their hands over this is the fact that the response to tweeting the cartoon is so predictable, as if that was good enough reason not to… “Free speech is all well and good but, c’mon, he should have known what would happen!”
None of them have the guts to simply say, it’s OK to do something knowing that offence will be caused when you know that those claiming offence have no good reason to do so.
That fact becomes especially true when your actions are to demonstrate the fact that no good reasons exist.
No one has the right to not be offended.
Nawaz is exactly the kind of candidate who needs to be encouraged. There should have never been any question that he would be dropped and no party member should have made any official statement of any kind.
It’s not even as if it’s politically expedient for him to be spineless. Quite the reverse, really: he has an opportunity to be bold, which he seems to be squandering. Clegg is openly atheist and managed to kinda-sorta half win an election. I was hoping he’d turn out to be a lot more interesting than has been the case.
@FresnoBob:
Yes. He knew what was going to happen (death threats etc.) and did it anyway. Isn’t that something to be admired rather than admonished?
The appropriate response to injustice is often – perhaps always – to up the ante. I’m not sure downing the ante gets us anywhere.