Abu Qatada - When Integrity fails

It seems to me that the furore over the the decision to release the wayward Muslim cleric and the ban by the European Court of Human Rights regarding him being deported to Jordan are all part and parcel of the same problems that led to the untimely death of Baha Musa some seven and a half years ago.

Now I know, having read many of the garment-rending and teeth-gnashing blogs that what I'm going to write might not be popular, but the truth rarely is! In both cases the root of the problem lies in the reality that when wrong things are done - bad things happen, and there is no doubt that Qatada's release and the ban on his deportation are not good. So who, or what, is to blame?

The blame lies firmly at the feet of those who cease to operate with Integrity and where this action occurs there is, as Newton observed, a reaction, and sadly this reaction is often greater in terms of outcome that the initial wrong act. The wrong act of gaining evidence by use of torture and coercion brings about the result that, as I understand it, a guilty and wicked man is afforded the protection that others have had denied because of his preaching and actions. This is a stern lesson for us as we realise that by acting wrongly the wrong are themselves protected and the modern mantra of the 'means justifying the end' is totally wrong.

Acting wrongly never brings about something that is right and this is echoed by the findings (and the realities) of the Baha Musa case as well. People who have been acted against, by acting wrongly themselves, are in danger of damaging the innocent if they lose sight of the need to maintain their integrity and throw discipline to the wind.

As I understand it there are ways and means of extraditing Qatada legally and these need to be looked at and acted upon. For those who call upon our government to 'do what is right' even though it is wrong are calling upon our nation to descend into the same pit as those against whom we contend physically, morally and spiritually. We need our nation, through the actions of our government, to show integrity and have the courage to do what is right even though other would have us merely engage in the act of revenge!

And those who call for our government to ignore the rule of law and deport Qatada are themselves in danger of leading us into a place where we become bedfellows with those whom we despise rather than being a people who obey the rule of law and act lawfully.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, my brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Hard (and perhaps unpopular) words - but words I feel we need to heed as a nation and in our own personal walk. If we act within the law all that we do will bear fruit and honour God. If we act against God we sow the seeds of despair and frustration. Perhaps this is what we get with an increasingly secular society (now that's a contentious thought too! - must be my day to tick people off)?

Pax