Melanie Phillips defines Islamism (as opposed to Islam/Mohammedanism) and liberalism. Basically she calls Islamism a political ideology based on Islam and Wahabbism school of thought. Phillips’ definition of liberalism is in the classical sense. Classical liberalism is closer to what Americans would call the conservative movement.

The Phillips essay is an awesome analysis of how radical Islamism takes advantage of classical liberalism. Worse classical liberalism maintains that radical Islamists in the West (or in Britain in Phillips’ case) should have their freedom of expression even if it means the demise classical liberalism.

READ THE ESSAY.