The Centre for Social Cohesion reports that libraries are spending public funds to stock books that promote Islamic extremism and glorify terrorism. The libraries in London, Birmingham and Blackburn stocked books by convicted preachers Abu Hamza and Abdullah Al-Faisal. The report's main focus, however, is on public libraries in Tower Hamlets. It exposes eight lending libraries in Tower Hamlets that glorify, incite and endorse acts of terrorism against those of other religions and faiths. You can read the full report here.
Taxpayers should be alarmed and outraged that our taxes are going to pay for works inciting violence. Moreover, where is the accountability in the system to at least offer a balance? It would be wrong to ban any book; we like to believe we are all reasonable people able to interpret ideas and debate issues facing us. But we should draw the line when so many of these radical books appear on public bookshelves.
We’re rallying our members in Tower Hamlets and the wider country to write into Tower Hamlets newspapers and make this an issue. It’s not fair, right or just for our taxes to fund books preaching hate and violence. So make your voice heard. Write to:
Letters Editor
The Tower Hamlets Recorder
182 - 184 High Street North,
London,
E6 2JD,
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected] (specify that the letter is for the Tower Hamlets Recorder letters page)