Extremist Muslim groups have have skirted round laws and manipulated holes in legislation

The work of such polarising and divisive groups simply re-affirms the warped mindset of people willing to kill any one of us who does not fit their world view.

Or take, for example, the various tin-pot ‘representative’ groups and even a small number of Imams who are openly antisemitic or who have a history of staff promoting such hate. Virulent antisemitism is another cornerstone of Islamist extremist thinking. Yet, there has been no challenge or action by the government on this and it has been left, on numerous occasions, to Jewish civil society organisations to deal with. This has come at significant risk to them.

Recently the Lady of Heaven protests outside Cineworld in numerous cities also showed two competing issues. One is how to protest without acting like a mob, which some of the groups clearly were. This came down to different social values and with societal ‘norms’ being challenged by aggressive mob type tactics.

For me, the daily Falun Gong demonstrations through peaceful meditative protest outside the Chinese Embassy are a legitimate and inspiring form of protest. You don’t see the Falun Gong turning up in hundreds and threatening other citizens with fists raised in the air.

Yet there was a second issue of the many anti-Shia chants. It was evident that many making these chants were young Muslim men. Therein lies the bedrock of a mindset that so easily can be turned to dehumanise another Muslim sect, whilst leaders talk about Islam being the ‘religion of peace’.

Islam is a religion of peace. The problem is that we have a huge battle for progressives to win the soul of Islam so that it has a unique British Muslim flavour that is confident, outwardly looking and willing to accept internal critique. Until then, we can only hope that the government wakes up to what is happening right under our eyes.