Farooq Siddique: A Muslim in Bristol

I still cringe when I recall how, on BBC's Question Time, Nick Griffin applauded along with the audience "each swing of proverbial baseball bat around his proverbial head"; apparently incapable of realising that the audience and his fellow panellists were making a mockery of him and his party policies!

But in reality it's not how extremists say what they are saying, it's the chance to say it to an even bigger audience. It's the legitimisation of their extreme point of view that is the aim; the "they have a point" mantra. That's why the extremists so crave media and public attention.

The more a society hears an extreme point of view, the more acceptable it begins to appear to that society. It is then that we become totally reliant on the sanity of the majority of the general public.

However, when the majority of that society surrenders their sanity, then, for example, even getting consent for genocide, described outlandishly as the "final solution" for the "Jewish problem" in 1930s Germany becomes an option.

A few months ago, in Luton, the media focused on 20 or so followers of Anjem Choudary, leader of a number of extremist groups, who demonstrated against returning British soldiers from a tour of duty in Iraq. A few weeks later, when they again tried setting up their stall in the street, they were physically chased away by over 200 Muslims from the local mosque. Again, a clear distinction was made that the ranting of a few idiots does not represent the majority.

On Saturday, the same self-serving Anjem Choudary planned a stupid march through London calling for the implementation of Sharia Law in the UK. The Daily Express described him ridiculously as the Chief Sharia Judge! He is no such thing and no such office exists! But his utter and repeated buffoonery has always found far-too-eager coverage in some of the national print media.

On this occasion though, Anjem was forced to cancel his plans after representatives of the vast majority of Muslim communities in this country organised two counter demonstrations against him the same day; Anjem said he feared for the safety of his small band.

Anjem and Nick – ironically, these two extremists actually thrive on the actions and convictions of the other.

While the British people of all colours, of all faiths, or none, continue to stand up against them; to speak out against them; then these two, and their kind, will always be just a minor annoyance.

What they hope for is that we get tired; that we become confused or apathetic; that we stop; that we do nothing. That's all it takes for the people like them to succeed: for good people to do nothing.