Warning: Islam is a Peaceful Religion

British Prime Minister David Cameron
and
Zahra Qadir
LA Times

In a report by Henry Chu for The Los Angeles Times, "Britain's David Cameron calls for combating 'vicious, brutal' extremists" (July 22, 2015):

Although he warned that Islam was a peaceful religion, Cameron emphasized it would be an "exercise in futility" to pretend there was no link between Islam and the radical ideas espoused by militants who call themselves Muslims.

What? Uh? Oh. Right. Got it:

Although he emphasized that Islam was a peaceful religion, Cameron warned it would be an "exercise in futility" to pretend there was no link between Islam and the radical ideas espoused by militants who call themselves Muslims.

Confusion on this point about "warning" and "emphasizing" is too easy to fall into, so let's quote Cameron at length on what he considers the British creed and explicitly note the subtle connections to avoid when we think of Islam with respect to this British creed (i.e., the incorrect associations about Islam are my parenthetical remarks):

"We have in our country a very clear creed, and we need to promote it much more confidently," . . . [Cameron] said. "There are things we share together. We're all British (but members of the Ummah first). We respect democracy (one man, one vote, one time) and the rule of law (Muslim law). We believe in freedom of speech (except when we don't), freedom of the press (ditto), freedom of worship (for the time being), equal rights (for some, but not for others) regardless of race (hundred yard dash, hundred meter dash, we're not picky), sex (for martyrs, and lots of it), sexuality (eh, didn't you just ask about this) or faith (submission is enough). We believe in respecting different faiths (as long as they sit down and shut up), but also expecting those faiths to support the British way of life (so long as that way of life conforms to Islam)."

Now comes an actual warning (emphasis mine) from the Muslim Council of Britain (again with parentheticals to avoid when thinking about Islam):

The Muslim Council of Britain . . . welcomed Cameron's remarks but warned against "litmus tests (Islamophobic questions that back us into a corner) which may brand us all as extremists (very pious Muslims), even though we uphold and celebrate the rule of law (the aforementioned Islamic law), democracy (yeah, one man, one vote, one time) and rights for all (unequal rights)."

No need to thank me - I'm glad to get all of this straightened out. Just remember: Forget those above-noted parentheticals! They will lead you 180 degrees astray from what we're supposed to think about Islam.