The British Prime Minister addresses a symptom, not the disease:
David Cameron has criticised “state multiculturalism” in his first speech as prime minister on radicalisation and the causes of terrorism. At a security conference in Germany, he argued the UK needed a stronger national identity to prevent people turning to all kinds of extremism. He also signalled a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist extremism.
“Let’s properly judge these organisations: Do they believe in universal human rights – including for women and people of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government? Do they encourage integration or separatism?
Secularism is a societal non-starter. Cameron is trying to tread a fine line that doesn’t actually exist. Universalist liberalism is no substitute for multiculturalism because it was the genesis of multiculturalism.