The commentators 16-11-15...on the Paris attacksTomorrow the first plane-loads of refugees from Syria arrive to begin a new life in Britain. This will delight actor Benedict Cumberbatch, Labour MPs such as Yvette Cooper and a host of other compassionate folk who have urged that Britain open its door to almost all comers. Perhaps, these lobbyists will feel no twinge of embarrassment about the revelation that at least two of the Paris killers travelled to Europe as refugees from Syria. The rest of us, however, shake our heads in unsurprised horror
- Max Hastings, Daily Mail Current counter-radicalisation approaches lack the mainly positive, empowering appeal and sweep of Isis’s story of the world; and the personalised and intimate approach to individuals across the world. The first step to combating Isis is to understand it. We have yet to do so. That failure costs us dear
- Scot Atran, The Guardian Isis created a war scene in Paris because it wants two things. It wants to fracture our society by making the coexistence of communities impossible, and I believe it wants to attract French retaliation in the form of deeper military engagement in Syria (in a de facto alliance with Assad) or in the form of a security policy that will feed resentment among its Muslim population. These are the traps it has set up - Natalie Nougayrède, The Guardian
There is always one question that people want to ask me, even if – for fear of seeming selfish - they leave it unspoken. That question is: Could it happen here? Is London going to be hit by shootings on that scale? The answer is that even though I think an attack of that particular type is unlikely, and even though we are doing everything in our power to prevent it, I am afraid that it would be impossible – and irresponsible – to rule it out completely
- Boris Johnson, Daily Telegraph Now is the time for concerted Nato action to eradicate Isis. Nato, and its regional allies, must deploy powerful ground and air forces against Isis strongholds in Syria and Iraq. If the West fails to act decisively, Isis will continue to gain in strength in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It will continue to recruit and train jihadists from around the world, some of whom will travel to western countries to attack us
- Richard Kemp, The Times The death cult chose its city well—Paris, secular capital of the world, as hospitable, diverse and charming a metropolis as was ever devised. And the death cult chose its targets in the city with ghoulish, self-damning accuracy—everything they loathed stood plainly before them on a happy Friday evening: men and women in easy association, wine, free-thinking, laughter, tolerance, music—wild and satirical rock and blues
- Ian McEwan, The Independent It was unfortunate that President Barack Obama declared Isis to be “contained” only hours before its horrific slaughter in Paris. Those words have come back to haunt him. Europe’s deadliest act of terrorism in a decade has already changed the contours of America’s 2016 presidential debate. The evidence is in the language. President François Hollande has said France will wage a “pitiless” war on terrorism. Pope Francis said we are in the midst of a “piecemeal world war three”. Republicans have been falling over each other to say “I told you so”. Democrats, on the other hand, have been careful to avoid straying into warlike vocabulary. Their discipline is admirable. But it will come at a rising political cost
- Edward Luce, Financial Times Only a few years ago, the puff would have been chucked out the moment the scale of a story like this became apparent, partly as a matter of taste and partly to maximise the potential for display and give the story room to breathe.
Last night only the Telegraph dispensed with the blurb - and that decision may have been influenced by the oversized ad at the foot of the page. The Times had signed up Bake-Off's Nadiya and wasn't about to surrender a millimetre of her promo. The Guardian was similarly wedded to its taste of autumn and the Mail to its Lego toy... but journalism was still the winner How the papers covered the Paris attacks Comment Awards, 2015Thursday 17 September, 2015 The Financial Times and The Times again lead the way in this year's ei Comment Awards, with eleven nominations apiece in the shortlists announced today.
Sathnam Sanghera is responsible for four of those Times nominations - featuring in the media commentator, diversity, technology and individual comment piece categories. Freelance Yomi Adegoke who founded Birthday Magazine for black teenage girls, is among four writers shortlisted in two categories - in her case young commentariat and media commentator. George Monbiot of the Guardian completes the media line-up and is also nominated as science commentator and Gillian Tett of the FT is listed in both business and economics. Her colleague Janan Ganesh is shortlisted for political commentator and the big prize - commentariat of the year, where he is up against the two most recent winners David Aaronovitch (also nominated for comment piece of the year) and Caitlin Moran. SubScribe is honoured and surprised to find a place on the individual blogger shortlist, and fully expects to come third behind Barrister Blogger Matthew Scott and Stuart Forster of Go-eat-Do. You can see all the shortlists here. Comment archive, 2015 |
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