Over the weekend I heard Mark Steel on the wireless mocking the idea that
there was an “Islamisation” of Europe, doing an impression of a call to prayer
on Radio Surrey. Funny as always, but wrong – Islamisation does not mean waking
up one day to find the newsreaders sporting a massive beard and a hook on his
hand, or the local hoodie having his hand cut off in public, any more than
climate change means immediate and dramatic Hollywood-style disasters.

Islamisation refers to small but significant erosions of our freedom, bit by
bit, demand by demand, concession by concession. The initial victims are Muslims
themselves: for many Muslim women and girls living in Br...

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Over the weekend I heard Mark Steel on the wireless mocking the idea that
there was an “Islamisation” of Europe, doing an impression of a call to prayer
on Radio Surrey. Funny as always, but wrong – Islamisation does not mean waking
up one day to find the newsreaders sporting a massive beard and a hook on his
hand, or the local hoodie having his hand cut off in public, any more than
climate change means immediate and dramatic Hollywood-style disasters.

Islamisation refers to small but significant erosions of our freedom, bit by
bit, demand by demand, concession by concession. The initial victims are Muslims
themselves: for many Muslim women and girls living in Britain, especially those
20,000 said to be at risk from genital mutilation or the smaller number
threatened with honour killings or with being murdered for apostasy,
Islamisation is already a reality.

For the rest of us it is less immediate and less noticeable, but a little bit
of our freedom dies every time someone is cowed into silence.