Comments and discussion

In your analysis, you should also consider statements and claims made by Tony Blair in his speech on terror which are particularly interesting or debatable.

Such statements are those which associate terrorism with religion. Although such associations were and continue to be widespread, they could also have the effect of encouraging the public to make a general association between all Muslims and terrorism, which could lead to islamophobia: “This is a religious ideology, a strain within the world-wide religion of Islam…” (ll. 44-45); “…their perversion of religious faith…” (l. 127).

The same ideas are further reinforced when the speaker cites from terrorist statements linking religion to their terrorist acts: “ ‘You should know that targeting Americans and Jews and killing them anywhere you find them on the earth is one of the greatest duties and one of the best acts of piety you can offer to God Almighty.’ ” (ll. 58-61).

The speaker does try to differentiate ...