The case for an Islamic London

By Michael J.W. Stickings

You want crazy? Here's crazy:

London's Time Out magazine has published a provocative article "argu[ing] that an Islamic London would be a better place" than, one presumes, the London of today. After quickly dispensing with "a hysterical, right-wing nightmare of a future Muslim London: where an cruel alien creed is forced on a liberal city," the article proceeds to explain that London is already heavily Islamic and why, issue by issue, Islam -- essentially Islamic theocracy -- would be so good for the city. Whether it's public health or social justice, race relations or the environment, education or the arts, all is right, Time Out declares, with Islam.

As McQ points out at QandO, this is quite likely an incredible parody. If so, forget crazy. This is brilliant, not least because one cannot help but read it without thinking of Islam's darker and often more prominent side. (You don't have to be some right-wing nut to worry about Islamic "justice".) The article makes such a strong and exaggerated case for Islam that it's obviously a big joke, and it compels us to think about Islam more seriously precisely by testing our sensibilities with such an extreme case. For non-Muslims who know London, and perhaps even for those who don't, the utopia presented here is a nightmare wrapped up in a pretty package. That's why it works. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks," as Gertrude puts it.

This is not to say, of course, that I find Islam to be a repugnant faith. It can be quite beautiful, whatever its problems, and there are more than a few. But let's say that Time Out had published an article arguing for an Evangelical Christian London. It should be obvious that such a utopian scheme could also be presented in a pretty package. But would that be any better? Or, rather -- as I prefer not to get into ranking organized religions -- would that be desirable? No more than the Islamic utopia, I would say, a utopia in which all darkness has been expunged.

As one who loves London a great deal and who has spent a lot of time there, what I prefer -- and what I suspect Time Out and its provocative parodists prefer -- is not an Islamic London or an Evangelical Christian London but a secular, liberal democratic London that is vibrant, dynamic, and open -- yes, very much the London of today. (Just like I prefer a secular, liberal democratic Toronto, my current home.) Warts and all, it is a great city, and this article reminds of that, and compels us to think about why, without saying anything about it at all, and in fact by compelling us to confront a radical alternative that is more nightmare than dream.

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I reserve the right to take all this back if Time Out has gone insane and was being serious.