David Cameron urged Britain’s Christian leaders to reach out to Muslim communities and offer support in fighting extremism, warning that attacks like those in Brussels could come anywhere.
Speaking Wednesday at an Easter reception for Christians in his 10 Downing Street office in London, the prime minister referred to the attacks and the “dark and difficult world we’re currently living in.” He said he wanted to “fortify” people to defeat extremism.
“This is the great fight that we have to join,” Cameron said. “Our brothers and sisters who are Muslims, they want our assistance. We should be reaching out and wanting to help them battle against extremism. We have to build stronger and more resilient communities. We have to make sure that people who are drifting into an extremist mindset are yanked back.”
The prime minister is far more comfortable talking about his faith than many of his predecessors, but his remarks have caused controversy before, especially his assertion in 2014 that Britain is a “Christian country.” He repeated that argument at this year’s event.
“We shouldn’t be embarrassed about that,” he said. “Sometimes people wonder if you say Britain is a Christian country that is somehow ‘doing down’ other faiths. Absolutely the reverse.”
Building Cohesion
He argued that it “actually helps others of a different faith to feel there’s a space for faith” and helped to build cohesion.
“I’m not saying our country has reached some sort of perfection when it comes to building a multirace, multiethnic, multifaith, multicultural democracy, but I think it’s pretty remarkable what we’re building in our country,” he said. “A country where wherever you come from, whatever the color of your skin, whatever God you worship, you can aim to make it to the very top.”
The prime minister told his audience that Britain’s liberal democracy would defeat extremism. “In the end our values are far stronger, far more appealing than anything they have to offer,” he said. “It’s not weak because we question our own faith. It’s immensely strong. We are rational rather than extremist, but don’t mistake that for lack of passion.”
He also offered a seasonal half-hearted apology for his tendency to be aggressive in his weekly appearances in Parliament: “When I try to explain and atone for my behavior at Prime Minister’s Questions, I sometimes say to people it’s one of those occasions when you’re either one of the Christians or one of the lions.”