...it would be a shame if something were to happen to it."

The so-called "moderate Muslim leadership" in Britain is blackmailing the British government again:

The closure of mosques accused of "fomenting extremism" would amount to a collective punishment of the community, the statement warned.

It may "create fear" which could lead to "the very radical sub-culture which we all seek to prevent".

Finally, the Muslim leaders said plans to deport foreign nationals to countries known for human rights abuses was "abhorrent".

In other words, Britain had better continue to allow people to foment insurrection and religious hatred against non-Muslims, or there might be even more insurrection and religious hatred against non-Muslims. And Britain is apparently obliged to provide asylum to people who abuse that privilege to preach hatred against her.

The closure of mosques accused of "fomenting extremism"

There I have to agree, it would be wrong. However, find those responsible for fomenting WITHIN those mosques and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. The mosque is there to serve the followers and should not be limited unless no other avenue exists. Punish the people responsible for the problem, and not the innocents who use the site for worship.

I agree with the above commenter. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. By treating *all* Muslims in one way because of what just a few did, that will encourage more towards insurrection.

The UK needs to show its citizens (especially Muslim) that it is treating the innocent Muslims with respect. *Not* doing that is not only unjust, but will make matters worse in the long term.

By treating *all* Muslims in one way because of what just a few did, that will encourage more towards insurrection.

Since no one in the British government is proposing to "treat *all* Muslims in one way because of what just a few did," I'm not sure what the point of your comment is. Do you have any more straw men?

You both assume that mosques will be shut down, as opposed to reformed (i.e,. remove the looneybins who currently run them). Indeed, you take the words of the Muslim's press release in general at face value (never a good idea). And if not allowing the preaching of hatred and insurrection in a mosque is "punishing the community," then maybe it's a community that Britain is better off without...

By closing mosques where the "leadership" is known to be responsible for fomenting hatred and violence, the British government is sending a signal to the "silent majority " of Muslims. Yes, punishing the majority for the acts of a few seems an unjust burden for that majority. But if Muslims in the UK value the freedom of religion and assembly that is afforded them in an open society, they should be willing to protect their institutions against the small minority within that would jeopardize those freedoms. As it seems, the majority of Muslims have left it up to the British Government, who is stunned, violated and enraged by the treachery perpetrated against all of its citizens. I would hope by taking this action, it would serve to ignite some proactive response from Muslims who themselves have been wounded by the savagery carried out in the name of their religion.

By treating *all* Muslims in one way because of what just a few did, that will encourage more towards insurrection.

Why is it that Muslims are the only ones who we fear might retaliate with more terrorism were we to close some of their places of worship?

Why is it that we would hardly fear rioting and murder if reports got out about a few bibles or torahs or "i chings" being "mishandled?" (Actually, officials in Saudi Arabia do this sort of thing routinely.)

Why is it that if Jews, Christians, or nearly any other religious group did respond with murderous violence to something as relatively innocuous as the touching one of their holy books without gloves, they would be widely and roundly condemned for such an uncivilized and disproportionatly extreme reaction? For that matter, if they responded like that even to killings of their brethren they would be held to account. "An eye for an eye" hardly solves the world's problems, we would be told.

Actually, I'm aware of the culture of death that accounts for much of the way Islamists react to things that others would merely be angry about. But why is it that Islamists, above all others, are given such a pass for this kind of behavior?

You both assume that mosques will be shut down, as opposed to reformed.

I'm not assuming anything. The statement was posted. I'm merely reacting in that I believe the closure of mosques is not the fix to the problem. Yes, you need to get others within a place of worship active in fixing the problem too, but closing their sites is lighting the fuse.