Britain is in the grip of a frightening new kind of religion

Jun 29, 2020 by

by Andrew Doyle, Mailonline:

Every day there seems to be a new entry into the lexicon of social justice to add to the already burgeoning list that includes ‘no- platforming’, ‘trigger warnings’, ‘hate speech’ and ‘cultural appropriation’. One of the latest is the barb directed at author J. K. Rowling, who has been accused of being ‘radicalised online’.

This alarmist phrase – previously associated with jihadi terrorists – brings to mind all manner of transgressions. Had she joined a fanatical death-cult, or endorsed a national policy of eugenics, or embedded subliminal Nazi propaganda into her forthcoming new children’s book?

No. Rowling’s so-called ‘radicalisation’ is her belief that there are biological differences between men and women.

[…]  Whether one agrees with her or not – and millions do – it would be myopic not to accept that these are legitimate concerns. At the very least, we should be able to have an adult conversation. Unfortunately, prominent social justice activists have decreed that rational debate is a form of violence.

The mantra that ‘trans women are women’ has become a clarion call, echoed most shamefully by the three main stars of the Harry Potter movie franchise: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

Tragically, this is what happens when slogans are substituted for serious thought. For most people, the furore over Rowling’s comments is inexplicable. It is only in recent months that the culture war has exploded into the mainstream, and many of us are struggling to keep up.

Why has declaring the truth become such a subversive act? How have we reached the point where artists and writers, the most outspoken members of society, are so often intimidated into silence?

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