'Meet the shadow minister for militant Islam'

This week's Spectator - of which I've just seen an advance copy - includes an interview with Shadow Communities Affair minister, Paul Goodman MP.  Mr Goodman is characterised as 'the shadow minister for militant Islam' by The Spectator's James Forsyth.

James (who recently wrote this for ConservativeHome) attacks Sayeeda Warsi in his article and suggests that David Cameron appointed Mr Goodman to balance her:

"Warsi’s rise makes Cameron’s ascent from freshman MP to leader in four years look almost sedate. In just two years she has gone from failed parliamentary candidate to being responsible for, perhaps, the most sensitive portfolio in opposition politics. Add in her history of making injudicious statements about anti-terror laws, talking to extremists, and Iraq — combined with some distinctly unCameroon views on homosexuality — and you have a pretty volatile cocktail. Especially as having staked his reputation on her judgment, Cameron cannot sack her."

Paul Goodman, the feature notes, has more Muslim constituents (9,000) than any other Tory MP.  It records his recent complaints about "the West Midland police’s bizarre decision to refer a Channel 4 programme on Muslim extremism to Ofcom" and Hazel Blears decision to restart talks with the Muslim Council of Britain (two initiatives already covered on ConservativeHome - here and here).

Goodman concedes that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have contributed to the radicalisation of young Muslims but he refuses to agree that they are the main cause.  James Forsyth writes:

"Separatism is the problem, according to Goodman. In the course of an hour-long conversation he mentions it no fewer than 17 times. The answer to this problem, he says, is to bolster moderate Muslims. It often is: never have so few been invoked by so many. But Goodman, who is a Jewish-born Roman Catholic and well versed in religion, can at least define what this platitude means. ‘Moderate Islam has as its core not wishing to see different people living under different law. Not wishing to see sharia incorporated into British law.’"

In the interview (not yet available online) Mr Goodman also supports the right of individual schools to ban the niqab and he professes sympathy for the idea of establishing a college to educate public policy actors about separatist extremism.

30 August update: The Spectator piece is now online.

Comments

[James]

Interesting. The appointment of Warsi was certainly the low-point in the recent history of the Conservative Party. She is on the wrong side of every important debate and is an apologist for terrorists.

[malcolm]

I wouldn't be too pleased if I was Mathew D'ancona or indeed Paul Goodman.A very facile title from James Forsyth.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

"Interesting. The appointment of Warsi was certainly the low-point in the recent history of the Conservative Party. She is on the wrong side of every important debate and is an apologist for terrorists"

Posted by: James | August 29, 2007 at 18:59

Totally agree with James. There was, of course, her little outburst the other day when she suggested her Dewsbury Assn. didn't want an Asian candidate. I suspect it wasn't her colour that put them off her, rather her bigoted and pro-terrorist views.

This is Cameron's second biggest mistake since he became Leader (the first being grammar schools).

[Al Gunn]

'Outburst', really?

[Sam Wright]

The fast tracking of Warsi to try and get the muslim vote and appeal to wooly liberals who are in bed with islam is an absolute joke

[AnotherOne]

How was the grammar schools a mistake? It was only a "mistake" because the media made it look like one. All he did was to restate the earlier decision that they would not build any more grammar schools. New Grammar schools werent even built when the Conservatives were in power for 20 years.

Conservative supporters should stop losing their nerve over silly little non-issues!

Getting on-topic: I'm really liking what Goodman has to say! I really hope Warsi isn't a weakness that the media are waiting to blast out of all proportion. Hopefully DC will just sack her if she continues her terrorist-apology stance!

[Mr Angry]

Warsi was a serious mistake that made me question my membership of the party let alone the considerable time and effort that I devote to it. Goodman is an excellent antidote to that. Let's hope that Cameron listens a lot more closely to Goodman than Warsi.

[Traditional Tory]

Warsi was a serious mistake

Indeed. She's one of those 'Baseball Cap Moments' which should bring back to earth those of us who may have reacted favourably to Cameron's apparent Damascene conversion to Conservatism.

As for Malcolm's comment about what I agree is an inept and offensive title for this article, are we to suppose that D'Ancona is in office but not in power?

Actually I could well believe that.

[ceidwadwyr]

"She is on the wrong side of every important debate and is an apologist for terrorists."

She was against the illegal war though so obviously cant be all bad.

[TomTom]

She was against the illegal war though so obviously cant be all bad.

Posted by: ceidwadwyr |

You mean in Kosovo where the EU and NATO are breaching The Helsinki Final Act 1975 and have been dismembering Serbia as Hitler dismembered Czechoslovakia......I did not know she had been so opposed to that lunatic action by Clinton and Blair, Scharping and Fischer

[ToMTom]

New Grammar schools werent even built when the Conservatives were in power for 20 years.

but Assisted Places were...and what better way for Independent schools to meet Suzi Leather's annual threat to their existence under Charities Act than to restore Assisted Places ?

[Sally Roberts]

Interesting to read that Paul Goodman is a "Jewish born Roman Catholic" - as a Roman Catholic born Jew I can relate well to the message he puts across - that separatism is not the way forward. Sayeeda Warsi is in a difficult position - she is part of a community many of whom will be suspicious of her anyway because she is not behaving as they feel a "good" Muslim woman should and staying quietly in the background; and I do admire the fact that she is brave enough to have a political career - but I do feel she is pandering too much to the wish by some (not all) in her community for Muslim values to remain separate from and ultimately to predominate in Britain. The day sharia law arrives in this country will be the day that I, and probably man others like me, will think long and hard about my own future here.

[Roger Bright]

To Sally Roberts

Why can't Sayeeda Warsi be her own woman? You're happy for her to supposedly annoy her own Muslim community (evidence? stats? assertion based on what facts?) but you're annoyed that she sticks out like a sore thumb and speaks uncomfortable truths in the Shadow Cabinet. One rule for Boris will be Boris, another for Muslim Warsi.

[Abdel Hadi]

Sally Roberts: Why are people in Conservativehome and neoconservatives generally so obsessed by sharia law? Apart from a few nut cases, who is calling for them? Yes, yes, you'll probably point to dubious polls and to the pronouncements of the MCB - but scratch the surface, you'll see something else. Sharia law encompasses other things as well, how Muslims bury their dead, how they should pray etc. No different from Jewish orthodox law.

Ask any pratising Muslim whether they should follow Sharia law and be buried in the correct Islamic way, what are they going to say, no?

[Anthony Broderick]

Why was the poll that showed 40% of British Muslims wanted Sharia law in the UK "dubious" exactly?

Look at the countries which have Sharia law for goodness sake, I suppose beheading women is okay if it's in the same package as guidelines on how to bury said women? Loud-mouthed Muslim groups in this country might have an ounce of moral credibility if they ever moaned about some of the medieval practices in Muslim countries.

[Sally Roberts]

Abdel Hadi - for a start I am not Orthodox but belong to the branch of Judaism known as "Liberal Judaism". I am totally opposed to the introduction of sharia law in Britain because it is not the law of the land. We are subject to the laws of the United Kingdom in this country - I am not a Muslim so why should I be subject to the laws of something to which I do not subscribe? In addition, as a woman I feel that certain aspects of sharia law threaten my individual freedom. Sharia encompasses a great deal more than the "correct" way of burial - as you very well know.
Roger Bright - I was actually making a positive comment about Sayeeda being brave enough to stand up to those of her own community who may have reservations about her political activism - and I stress the word "May" - clearly I have no proof but I have a very good idea that this may be so. It is not a question of one rule for Muslims and another for non-Muslims - but I do not necessarily accept that everything she has done or said is 100% correct.

[Traditional Tory]

Interesting to read that Paul Goodman is a "Jewish born Roman Catholic"

Paul Goodman was for a while a novitiate in one of the monastic orders.

He is a man of great intellect, truthfulness, modesty and sensititivity. We need more like him and fewer BS-merchants.

[Sally Roberts]

I know we don't always agree, TT but on this one you are 100% right!

[anthony scholefield]

Dont they know sharia law is already in existence -for some finanacial products-and fully supporterd by the Tories

[anthony scholefield]

Dont they know sharia law is already in existence -for some finanacial products-and fully supporterd by the Tories

[George Hinton]

Warsi was the disaster waiting to happen. DC should be decisive and fire her.
Goodman perhaps should look more closely at the concept of multiculturism which has allowed the muslim community to distance itself from the host country. That alienation has allowed the present situation to arise. With unfettered immigration allowing un-westernised (uneducated/illiterate) individuals to maintain their tribal and village attitudes in the UK, the radicals have had an easy time. Easy, as we have been stupid enough to allow them to undermine our society and to preach their hatred and divisions.
Moderate muslims are those that have been educated widely, accept the differences, are content with their lot, have seized the opportunities that the West has to offer and are pragmatic enough to realise the differences. That education allows them to see the basic flaws and contradictions in the transliteration of the Koran. OTHERS DON'T, and they are the cause of the problems. Regrettably there are many (some would say too many)of these people in the UK.

[Mark Wadsworth]

Goodman is a good man!

[Student Tory]

Mrs. Warsi can be a good thing for the Conservative Party if members accept her. Okay her views on terrorism are odd, but you're not going to get even moderate Muslims on your side, if all you do is attack Islam as a religion.

Very few British Muslims actually want Shariah Law - many of them will be arrested for various crimes under it