There is much to dislike, even loathe, about the Islamic cleric known as Abu Qatada. But whether or not jailing him, as the British government has just done, will accomplish anything is unclear. It’s true that it will keep him from fleeing Great Britain before being tried on a variety of charges. But it will not keep him, or anyone else, from spreading the hatful views which he teaches. For better or for worse, ideas cannot be put in prison – even ugly ones.
The only way to strip a teacher’s power is to convince his potential audience to shun his teachings. It’s not that we should give up on law enforcement. But do we imagine that there are not ten imams waiting to take Abu Qatada’s place?
Only when religious leaders like Abu Qatada are preaching to empty halls, will we be successful. And that demands more than reactive prosecution. It requires proactive initiatives which provide equally compelling alternatives to those over whom Abu Qatada currently holds sway.
If this man, who entered Great Britain on a forged passport and may have been raising funds for terrorists in places like Chechnya, goes to prison for these actions, none of us should lose any sleep. If we think that jailing people for teaching dangerous ideas will keep us safe, we need to wake up.