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This is the era of pretence.

Thugs pretending they’re Servants of Christ.

Atheists pretending they’re Cultural Christians.

Overseas residents pretending they’re patriots.

Billionaire media moguls pretending they care about the poor.

Drug dealers pretending they’re principled protesters.

Rebellious youth pretending they’re pious Muslims.

Each side pretends about the opposite other, too.

Criminals are supposedly representatives of the enemy’s faith or culture.

The extremes represent their foes’ moderation. The minority represents the majority.

One side is forever guilty. The other side eternally innocent. History exists only for the other.

For the hateful, grooming gangs are a phenomenon peculiar to Muslims, sanctioned by their religion.

How so?

Plying vulnerable teenage girls with alcohol (haram) and drugs (haram), before engaging in illicit sexual activity with them (haram), then coercing and threatening them (haram), then facilitating multiple married men to commit non-consensual adultery with them (haram).

By any possible definition, the men that engage in these hateful practices are very far from their religion indeed.

But of course! For these are the actions of criminals from multiple communities. Most such gangs are made up of young white men, but perpetrators are found amongst all ethnicities and faith identities.

What is the call of faith?

Let there be from amongst you a community inviting to goodness, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Those will be the successful.

Quran 3:104

There is no pretending before God. He is witness to all things.

O you who have believed, stand firm for God, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear God; indeed, God is fully aware of what you do.

Quran 5:8