Terrorist Attack in Paris

Baroness Hussein-Ece Excerpts

Wednesday 14th January 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hussein-Ece (LD)]

My Lords, my noble friend referred earlier to the fact that Muslims are partners and we very much need them to work and co-operate in order to root out these extremists in our society after the terrible events in Paris. However, does he agree with me that comments such as those made by Rupert Murdoch, who lays the blame firmly on the world’s Muslims and says that they “must be held responsible”, and Nigel Farage, who said only the other day that the authorities had turned a blind eye to,

“the growth of ghettos where the police and all the normal agents of the law have withdrawn and that is where sharia law has come in”,

are unhelpful as regards promoting good race, community and interfaith relations? Will they help in what we are trying to achieve?

[Lord Bates]

I am grateful to my noble friend for raising that point, which perfectly illustrates the tensions. I disagree fundamentally with what has been said, both by Rupert Murdoch and by the UKIP member in the other example that she gave. Again, however, we defend the free press and its right to say that.