The Fate of Abraham by Peter Oborne

Author:Peter Oborne [Oborne, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2022-05-12T00:00:00+00:00

A survey of his work at Policy Exchange suggests Godson had three objectives. First, he sought to weaken – or, better still, wreck – the alliance between the British left and British Muslim organisations. This he did by portraying Islamism as an outlandish far-right movement, with features in common with fascism. Secondly, Policy Exchange sought to challenge multiculturalism both as an idea and, more especially, as a basis for government policy. Above all, Godson was determined to break the link between so-called Islamist movements and the British state.

Godson was successful in all these objectives. His excellent Whitehall and Westminster connections may well have helped. These connections endure. Policy Exchange can whistle up a Cabinet minister for an event, an op-ed in a newspaper or access to Downing Street, while its authors are sought as experts on Islam on radio and television. The organisation’s reports tell the Conservative Party exactly what its leaders want to hear. At least six special advisers in the Boris Johnson government previously worked for Policy Exchange.13

Godson’s first publication for Policy Exchange targeted British government collaboration with what was coming to be termed ‘radical Islam’.14 The author, Martin Bright, was a left-leaning journalist and then political editor of the New Statesman. This in itself sent out the important message that Policy Exchange worked with both political persuasions.15 Bright’s analysis was based on leaked material, courtesy of a Foreign Office source alarmed at the government’s relationship with Muslim organisations both in the UK and overseas. ‘It depresses me deeply,’ wrote Bright, ‘that a Labour government has been prepared to rush so easily into the arms of the representatives of a reactionary, authoritarian brand of Islam, rather than look to real grassroots moderates as allies.’16

Bright’s document took aim at two targets: the Muslim Brotherhood and the Muslim Council of Britain. A detailed examination of the Muslim Brotherhood will follow when analysing British policy towards Islamic countries, showing that it is in the invidious position of being feared by Arab dictatorships across the Persian Gulf and North Africa, as well as being despised by terrorist movements such as al-Qaeda. The Muslim Brotherhood formed the nearest thing that existed to a democratic opposition in many countries, which explains why it needed to operate underground when confronting dictatorships. Policy Exchange (and Martin Bright) present the Muslim Brotherhood as an Islamist movement guilty of propagating a dangerous ideology at odds with the West.17 As for the Muslim Council of Britain, that was condemned as guilty of being Islamist too. Bright’s document was an important blow in a campaign which would eventually lead to the severing of relations between the British government and the MCB.18 Policy Exchange can claim a large part of the credit.

Godson was an acute talent-spotter. Munira Mirza wrote his second publication and later worked with Boris Johnson when he was mayor of London, before moving to the crucial role of head of the Downing Street policy unit. Mirza demanded an end to ‘institutional attacks on Britain and its culture’,19 arguing

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