My problem has nothing to do with racism or dislike – much less hatred – of Muslims as human beings (I know some very nice ones), but with the very unclear but crucial issue of whether or not the doctrines of Islam are compatible with an open society and pluralistic democracy. As far as I understand it, Islam preaches theocracy, and makes no separation between religious law and the law of the land. If there are British Muslims who believe otherwise, we need to hear from them much more loudly.

Indeed. But isn’t that the problem ? Even if you accept that attempts to tramell debate towards rationality are genuine and well intentioned (and I don’t) , emotion is necesarily removed, leaving only a pick and mix of fashionable causes which are really nothing more than Islington dinner party conversation menus. “Having the debate” has become an end in itself, which wouldn’t be problematic (who really cares what guardinistas talk about at dinner parties ?) except that a sizeable chunk of society (the uneducated/unelightened/other polite euphamism for white working class) are excluded from that debate by virtue of their lack of aspiration towards rationality. If the liberal left are against anything it is surely elites, yet you wear your membership of them like a badge of honour.

So, contrary to the opinion I am being fed, I think Martin Amis was being honest about the immediate, emotional reaction to terrorism. Without being too blunt about it, you want to find the fuckers and kill them. It is the immediate fight or flight response. In my case it was fight, and given the impossibility of actual flight, it was the only available option.

Quite how that, frankly extreme, and immediate, response, gets manipulated for other ends is probably going to fill libraries from now until kingdom come.

And, err…, apart from that ridiculous fight / flight reaction, I don’t hate Muslims. Personally, I think they have been demonised, much like Jews were by Christians for killing Christ. It is a nonsense. The they did not do it. It was specific Muslims with specific agenda’s that did it. How come the KSA and Yemen weren’t invaded?

But understanding our own immediate responses is probably a worthwhile thing.

“gives those filled with hate nowhere to go?”

Perhaps so.
Though if people are somehow not “allowed” by the mainstream to say what they really think/feel then alas they may well find somewhere much more sinister to go.