Mary Ann Seighart

 

Mary Ann Seighart had an interesting piece in The Times today, in which she talked about the attitudes of young Muslim men. It was a well-written measured piece.

I worry that things will get worse.

Most non-Muslims, be they Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Atheist like me or whatever, try, but if you're me not always successfully, to treat all women equally. In fact in certain racial groups, the women have become more than equal. Even in the Roman Catholic faith there are prominent and influential women.

But where are those Muslim women, who anybody would be proud to follow?

The younger generation of Muslim men seem to be getting more arrogant. My wife and I stopped going to the local Indian restaurant because the owner's son kept telling everybody about his drunken weekends in Paris with his mates, whilst his non-English speaking Bangladeshi wife sat at home. An old school friend, educated at the same liberal North London Grammar School, as Lord Puttnam, Alan Coren, Lynn Franks and Peter Kellner, gets fed up with the attitude of his male Muslim students where he teaches engineering.

Muslim men are getting further from the norm and we are rejecting them, because they do not adhere to the common decencies of a civilised society.

A sad incident illustrates their problem. Our daughter-in-law gave birth to a baby in the Royal London Hospital. The baby was born with a hole in her diaphragm, had surgery at a day old and now is a healthy four year old. But that's another story. Whilst standing around waiting for things to happen, we asked a nurse why the waiting room was locked and everybody stood in the corridor. We were told that if it were kept open all the local men sat there and the women had to stand outside. So they decided it was fairer if everyone stood.

Somehow we must change those attitudes.

My only hope is that twenty years ago we despaired of the attitudes of some West Indian men. Many of those thought to be beyond the pale are now valuable members of society.

Let's hope these Muslim men see the light and change before it is too late.