Maliha isn’t defending silly cultural practices such as female circumsision, forced marraiges or the Nikaab; 9/10 educated muslims wouldn’t do either. All it takes is a little education for people to snap out of these practices. I can give you a whole list of pretty silly practices of underprivileged and poorly educated parts of the non-muslim community if you wish?

Neither does the majority of the muslim community call for Shariah in the UK; it’sa point ridiculously overplayed by the media. Furthermore; (far from the hand-chopping I’m sure you’re all too used to reading about) those that do, advocate a non-binding civil form of the Shariah in which both parties are willing to abide by any ruling. I don’t see any problem in that. The Jewish community exercises the same privileges.

Briefly, to address your other points (some of which on a theological level would be hard for muslims to justify in an ISLAMIC state) : there are several passages in Islamic texts which advise muslims to live by the “law of the land” if they find themselves living in a non-muslim community. Also, may I refer you to the very famous “there is no compulsion in religion” quote from the Qur’an.

With regard to “arranged marriages”; you clearly have no idea what they entail. I’m a muslim; I’ll most probably have an arranged marriage. All it means is that I’ll introduce my parents to a prospective wife (and vice versa) and her family prior to deciding to marry her. The muslim community is incredibly family orientated, and no where near as solitary as the rest of British society: to a certain extent you – as a muslim – marry the family as well as your spouse. If you take a look at the statistics as well, arranged marriages on the whole are far more stable than non-arranged; rarely do divorces occur. Although you semi- distinguished between arranged and forced marriages in your post, there is a HUGE difference between the two.

Well, tough. We have done religious balkanisation in this country to death (literally) particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the reaction against this that lead Britain (thankfully) away from sky cultism and towards science and rationalism.

There are deep seated reasons in the UK for its, largely, hands off approach to religion as you may or may not be aware of. It has served us well.

You speak of muslims being accommodated in the UK, I agree, religious and ethnic discrimination is clearly wrong and this country has often lead the fight against such (not exactly a perfect record but at least we have tried) But how about Muslims accommodating the UK and accpeting that perhaps that are certain religious/cultural practices that are just beyond the pale?? Like the nikab, forced marriage, arranged marriage, any form of civil or criminal shariah, female circumcision and inequality based on gender, sexuality or choice of religion or absence of religion or, indeed, the total freedom to move from one religion to another without fear of violence or intimidation.

I know this is a tad bit mean, but it’s a good job Samuel Huntington’s no longer around to spew his “Clash of civilisations” nonesense.