In the summer of 2014, I was attending a business conference in London. During a break, I needed a little personal time (i.e., to get away from people), so I took a walk from the hotel. Within a few blocks, I walked into an Arabic-speaking Muslim neighborhood. It was a few blocks minimum and I found it fascinating. The business owners were kind and welcoming.
I went back to my hotel and started chatting with one of the bell captains up front about my midday walk and adventure. This elderly gentleman simply looked at me and said, “London has changed and it will be a different city in five years.”
As the years have gone by since then, London has changed with 15% of its population now Muslim. Not an insignificant number.
That story, that day, came clearly back to my memory as I read an alarming story in today’s United Kingdom’s “The Telegraph.” The headline:
Just one in four British Muslims believe Hamas committed murder and rape in Israel
Findings show ‘failure of counter-extremism policy’ and confirm a lot of ‘work needs to be done’ to challenge old anti-Semitic tropes
The headline was startling enough, but the actual numbers are unnerving. Since the U.S. news media will give little or no coverage to this poll, let me give you a bullet point review to share with your social and family circle.
“Only one in four British Muslims believe that Hamas committed murder and rape in Israel on Oct 7, a major report has found.”
A poll commissioned by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a counter-extremism think-tank, found that 46 percent of British Muslims said they sympathize with Hamas.
“The survey, which is the largest of its kind to be carried out since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, asked a range of questions to British Muslims as well as to the general public.”
“A third of British Muslims (32 percent) want to see Sharia law implemented in the UK versus nine per cent of the public.” If you do not know what Sharia Law is, you can learn more about it here and here.
“Younger and well-educated Muslims were the most likely to think Hamas DID NOT commit atrocities on Oct 7, with the proportions rising to 47 percent among 18 to 24-year-olds and 40 percent among the university-educated.”
“It also found that almost half (46 percent) of British Muslims say Jews have too much power over UK government policy, compared to 16 percent of the general public.”
“Among British Muslims, 41 percent said Jews have too much power in the media industry and 39 percent said Jews have too much power in the UK’s financial system.” You can guarantee that number is higher, just that 10%+ did not want to admit their anti-semitism to a pollster. This would be called a “socially undesirable” opinion.
“Asked whether Hamas committed murder and rape in Israel on Oct 7, 24 percent of British Muslims said they had, compared to 62 percent of the general public.” The fact that there are still 38% of the British general public who doesn’t believe rape or murder happened is down right scary.
“A further 39 percent of British Muslims said Hamas did not commit atrocities, and 37 percent said they did not know whether they had or had not.” So basically, 76% of British Muslims do not believe in reality?
Of course, British officials provided a shrug the shoulder, shallow fix to the problem, “The Government has got to provide better guidance for teachers, schools and education establishments. The investment needs to happen as soon as possible because we are at real risk of a social cohesion problem.” News alert, there are many public school teachers in the United States who are part of the anti-semitism problem here? Do they think it is better in London? Look at what your kids are taught in school now. Do you think this is the answer?
To quote “Lost in Space,” “Danger, danger Will Robinson.”
The numbers are terrifying and this blatant anti-semitism, this blind eye to rape and murder, need to be confronted head on and stamped out. What makes this worse is British demographics today and in the future.
According to Pew Research Center, “Muslims in the UK and France, meanwhile, average 2.9 children – a full child more per woman than non-Muslims.” According to the most recent census data, the British Muslim population has increased by 44% over the last decade. 3.9 million Muslims are now living in London.
With the Muslim population increasing rapidly, Pew Research Center is predicting that with medium immigration rates approximately 17% of the British population will be Muslim by 2050.
Do you think these London polling numbers will get better by 2050? I hope for the best, but I am doubtful. That old London bell captain was prophetic.
Note: the opinions expressed herein are those of Chuck Warren only and not his co-host Sam Stone or Breaking Battlegrounds’ staff.