Chief Rabbi: Muslims should learn from Jews

The Chief Rabbi in a lecture to religious wonks in London recently called on Muslims to learn from the experience of Jews in separating religion from power when living as a minority.

In an interesting and at times mildly provocative speech he outlined the need for flexibility and adaptability which, to some of the nutters who call themselves Muslims a bit of an anathema. The irony of course is turn on any Muslim channel in the evening and you find people phoning scholars asking for advice on all matters of daily contemporary life in the UK which to all intent and purposes is exactly that, adapting to life as a Muslim in a non Muslim society.

The challenge of course is a number of Muslims are recently off the boat and unlike Jews and Christians who have been around centuries we have not which is why you get the usual suspects spouting off about western decadence while of course benefiting from the education, health and welfare provisions on offer. London Muslim recalls on one occasion leafleting outside a mosque when one brother in a group kicked off about the "haram" life here but after a lively debate still accepted the income support, council house for his family, free college education etc etc.

The analogy used by the Chief Rabbi about knowing "how to sing in a minor key" is well made although sadly would be lost on some of the twats in our community who would probably phone a scholar asking is singing haram.