They ran my letter in today's South China Morning Post under the headline above.
This issue brings to mind moves by some parties in Hong Kong to target the Islamic vote, a move that could encourage the "segregated communities" Cameron highlights.
Cameron brought up real fears
In February, British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech in which he set out his views of radicalisation and Islamist extremism. Virginie Guiraudon has called his speech an example of "official xenophobia" ("Face of bigotry", June 23).
This issue brings to mind moves by some parties in Hong Kong to target the Islamic vote, a move that could encourage the "segregated communities" Cameron highlights.
Cameron brought up real fears
In February, British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech in which he set out his views of radicalisation and Islamist extremism. Virginie Guiraudon has called his speech an example of "official xenophobia" ("Face of bigotry", June 23).
With this smear on Mr Cameron, she signally fails to note his key message: that "passive" or "hands-off" tolerance of segregated communities allows the promotion of radical Islamist ideology by "young dynamic leaders who promote separatism". The truth of this observation is beyond reasonable dispute. David Cameron is not a xenophobe.
It is not xenophobia to state that a genuinely liberal country believes in and promotes certain values, including, as he says: "freedom of speech, freedom of worship, democracy, the rule of law, equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality". How can anyone, left, right or centre, be against these fundamental rights, and by what possible stretch could they be called "xenophobic"?
Yet in her article Ms Guiraudon makes not one mention of the ideology of Islamic extremism, of its deep-rooted bigotry, which we see in many parts of Europe.
Why else does she think the majority of Europeans are voicing their concerns, including heads of government? No, it is not blind bigotry, as she claims.
It is genuine fear that in tolerating the intolerant, in being passive towards bigotry, Europe is in danger of losing the very tolerance and liberal values it has spent centuries developing.
Yours etc...
