Tony Blair warns of ‘flabby liberalism’ – BBC News

Former prime minister Tony Blair says extremism can be countered, but moderate voices need to be much stronger.

…he warned that moderate voices were too defensive about arguing their case and this was fuelling a culture of extremism in religion and politics.

“One of the problems with the West is that it constantly can be made to feel guilty about itself – and I’m not saying there aren’t things we should feel guilty about.

“But you know, we shouldn’t let people intimidate us into thinking there are certain values we shouldn’t be standing up for,” said Mr Blair, who was attending the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai last week.

“I’m a supporter of multiculturalism. But there’s been a long period of time when we’ve allowed the concept of multiculturalism to be abused.”

As an example, he said that if people were asserting the equality and fair treatment of women that they should not be made to feel “somehow we’re being culturally insensitive”.

“We have to be clear no one has the right to abrogate those basic human rights.”

Source: Tony Blair warns of ‘flabby liberalism’ – BBC News

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