As details of last week's failed bomb plots started to emerge, I was reminded of a debate I took part in last year at Birmingham's central mosque during a conference in the city. It was shortly after the July 7 bombings in London and we had been invited to discuss the issue of security with local Muslim leaders. It was supposed to be the highlight of the conference. The mosque is widely regarded as a hotbed of extremism. So this was a rare opportunity to question why local youths were being filled with such hatred against British society and what role the mosque was playing in it.I should have known better. My fellow delegates - mostly left-leaning policy wonks, journalists and academics - were never going to ask the tough questions. Frightened of giving offence, the debate turned into familiar hand-wringing about racism, Western decadence and the need for greater cultural understanding. As a result, we learned little of any value about the role of radical imams and preachers of hate in fomenting terrorism. But as a lesson in the cultural cowardice of the British establishment, it could not be bettered.
Britain's loss of nerve is one of the main reasons it has become a global centre of Islamic extremism. The idea that Britain should become a joyous melting pot of different cultures and religions living side by side in mutual toleration and respect is a noble vision. But it's not working out that way. Instead, the benefits of immigration are being lost through a failure to control numbers and a reluctance to pursue policies that might promote integration. As a result, Britain has a huge Muslim population, much of which is increasingly alienated from mainstream society. "Londonistan" is no longer just a safe haven for foreign extremists. Today, it nurtures home-grown terrorists, many born in Britain, educated at British schools and attending British universities.