Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is a British journalist. She is a Muslim. Her views are influenced by her Muslim faith. I had some respect for her opinions. Until yesterday.Yesterday she wrote an article in the Independent in which she spoke - on what evidence, I have no idea - of Iraqis being killed "when we bombed indiscriminately in civilian areas."
She claimed that for the British establishment "Muslims are contemptible creatures, devalued humans." She said the establishment "steal our human and civil rights," treating Muslims as "lesser citizens." She goes on to complain how appallingly Muslims are treated here.
She managed to drag in Israel's incursion into Gaza in Operation Cast Lead, which she called "one of the worst acts of state terrorism in recent history." (She had previously written of the Palestinian population in Gaza: "First systematically starved, the population was denied escape and more than 1,200 were slaughtered like animals in an abbatoir" in "a spectacle of ruthless power.")
No mention of the fact that Israel's incursion was in response to Palestinians in Gaza firing rockets at civilian centres in Israel each day for several years. No mention of how Palestinians in Gaza used Palestinian women and children as human shields. No mention of how Palestinians in Gaza killed other Palestinians.
For a reasoned, measured response to Ms Alibhai-Brown's article I would recommend Robin Shepherd's blog. He is director, international affairs at the Henry Jackson Society in London and a former Moscow bureau chief for the Times.
You can read Ms Alibhai-Brown's article - if you can stomach it - by clicking here. You can read Robin Shepherd's piece by clicking here. I would invite you to read them both.
