Christianity has been no champion of democracy either
Re: “UK House of Lords aiding and abetting Muslim invasion”, Have Your Say, yesterday.
Nation readers are once again treated to the completely absurd views of JC Wilcox. London is not a majority-Muslim city. About 12 per cent of its residents are Muslims and its mayor was elected as a Labour Party politician.
Islam is a diverse religion with several varieties and sects and it is most certainly a religion by any definition, not a political movement. The nearest it had to a political party in the UK was Respect, which is now defunct.
Islam is no more incompatible with democracy than any other religion. Christianity has its Christian Democrats in Europe, Christian nationalists (in apartheid South Africa) and evangelicals in America. Christianity also has its extremist movements, such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Lords Army in Uganda.
Attempts to reform the UK’s House of Lords during the coalition government were blocked by right-wing Conservatives. This leaves them little room to complain today.
Regarding the right to vote, not all British citizens were given the right to vote in the Brexit referendum of 2016. Those who had lived abroad for more than 15 years were excluded. Thus, an important number living in Europe who would be directly affected were denied a say.
Ian Martin
Bangkok
