'What, we should ask, have all our soldiers been dying for?' (The Times) 'Good question!' (Geoffrey W.)

As a true-born Brit with a lengthy local pedigree to prove it, I have long held to the view that, with all of their and its faults, British people are, and British civilisation is, probably superior to others.

Today, The Times reports that in a Taleban-controlled area of Afghanistan, a young widow, found 'guilty of adultery' by a 'panel' of mullahs, was 'given more than 200 lashes before being shot in the head three times.'

The Times also reports that, 'Afghan state law is only slightly better. Rape victims are jailed for having sex outside wedlock. Adulterers and runaways are normally jailed for two or three years, although police often return women to their families to face traditional punishments, which include "honour killings."'

A Times analyst writes that, 'Unfortunately, the Taleban are not the only savages who condone such brutal behaviour. Even the country's President ... rarely shows his own wife in public ... It was President Karzai who signed a law last year that in effect let men rape their wives, or starve them.'

The same analyst goes on, 'What, we should ask, have all our soldiers been dying for?'

Good question.

On another page, The Times further reports the murders in Pakistan of a 'British' couple who were shot to death for allegedly rejecting demands for their two youngest daughters to be forced into marriages. Had the couple acquiesced in the marriages and not rejected the demands, presumably the male 'better halves' from Pakistan would have been able to come to Britain through their respective marriages. Anup Minota, of Karma Nirvana, a 'charity supporting victims of forced marriage,' is reported to have said, 'Coming to England is a big thing, particularly for a man. It is seen as the way to wealth.'

The report goes on, 'Marriage also provides the route for other members of the family to come to Britain.'

Why do I quote so extensively from The Times?

Well, it's quite simple. If one believes, as I do, that British people are, and British civilisation is, probably superior to others, then surely one's belief is bolstered by these accounts of Taleban/Afghan and/or Pakistani 'civilisation' and, if that bolstered belief is founded in fact, what on earth are we and our boys doing in Afghanistan supporting President Karzai's idea of civilised behaviour and what on earth are we doing continuing to admit to our country, not only the beneficiaries of forced marriages in Pakistan but also a further following stream of family members?

The short-term effect of what we are doing in Afghanistan is to promote a semi-perverted so-called Islamic 'civilisation' as opposed to a fully-perverted Islamic 'civilisation.' I say, 'Let the Afghans decide for themselves to what extent they want their civilisation to be perverted.'

The short-term effect of what we are doing through our immigration policy is to let in to our country those who benefit from forced marriages. That is known and is seen to be wrong.

The longer-term effect of what we are doing in Afghanistan is to encourage even greater enmity and danger to be focused on ourselves and the longer-term effect of what we are doing with regard to immigration is further to enlarge that part of the population of these British islands that is alien and, compared with ourselves, uncivilised.

Our country is being changed by that enlargement and will be further changed more rapidly and more dramatically than most of us wish.

Many people say these things out of the hearing of the authorities. Some people who say these things are thought of as racist.

I am saying these things now because I care about our British people and our British civilisation, who are, and which is, I believe, superior to others.

Something must be done, and soon.