Civitas Blog

The Times reports today the launch of a new campaign designed to educate children about the dangers of gun crime. It has been launched amidst mounting police concern about the increasing numbers and ever earlier age of black children who have taken to carrying guns.

Speaking yesterday at the launch of the campaign, London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, used the occasion to condemn rap music stars for having glamorised violence and promoted the use of weapons. With these groups firmly in mind, he is reported to have said people in the public eye should consider what role models they set.

A few months ago (Guardian 4th August 2005), the Mayor publicly defended the Muslim cleric, Sheikh Qaradawi, being allowed into this country to address young British Muslims, despite the cleric having publicly supported suicide bombings of civilians in Israel, something which the Mayor also went on to condemn.

Describing the Sheikh as ‘one of the world's most eminent Muslim religious leaders’, the Mayor claimed denying the cleric entry would show disrespect to British Muslims who he claimed revered him and only serve to increase the number of alienated fanatics.

The Sheikh is a public figure and role model for his admirers. Why should his alleged high standing among them be thought to license his being able to glorify one form of morally unjustifiable violence, when the high standing of rap artists among young British blacks is claimed precisely why they should desist from glorifying another form of unjustified violence?

Won’t the disrespect shown by the Mayor to young British blacks in condemning their cultural heroes merely alienate them and thereby increase their numbers prepared to carry guns?