Pearsall's Books

For what it's worth, I agree with Phil Edwards, who agrees with Chris Clarke that there's something a bit off with the fact that, as soon as Islamic extremists commit an atrocity, there are calls for all other Muslims to stand up, bow down, and give the appropriately ritualistic apologies and condemnations. Quite apart from the 'guilty-until-proven-innocent' aspect of this, it just seems pointless. What does it do? The reactionary types, who see Islam as a vast conspiracy to enslave the rest of the world, demand these apologies, and then when they hear them, either choose to ignore them or dismiss them as 'dissembling'. And it's not like Muslims, either 'community leaders', imams, or just ordinary people on the street, are not going to condemn terrorist attacks, no matter what their private opinions (attention whore nutcases like Omar Bakri, excepted).

There's an air of formality over the whole thing, like being asked in an airport if you packed your own bags.

"Do you think blowing up the tube is a bad thing?"

Who is going to say no?