'Churchill was flawed like all the greats but his achievements outshine his shortcomings'
Students from SOAS University demanded the owner of a Winston Churchill-themed cafe apologise for celebrating him.
Thursday 1 February 2018 11:07, UK
Judging historical figures by today's morality is dangerous, The Pledge panellist Maajid Nawaz says.
The owners of a Winston Churchill-themed cafe in London probably didn't think they were doing anything out of the ordinary.
But in times such as these, even considering Churchill a war hero is apparently controversial.
To my embarrassment, 14 members of my old university, SOAS, held a protest demanding the owner apologise for aggrandising the wartime leader rather than portraying him as a "racist".
The demonstrators faced a backlash, but their student union backed them, saying the cafe "exercises a concerted historical amnesia of British colonialism ... offensive to those who continue to experience institutional racism".
Er... not to me and thousands like me it doesn't.
Of course Churchill was flawed, just as Gandhi and all great historical leaders were, but their more troublesome ideas were relatively banal during the times they lived in.
And their achievements outshine their shortcomings.
These two criteria must surely apply, otherwise no historical figure is safe from being torn down.
The arrogance of presentism - judging historical figures by today's morality - is dangerous and ignores the true complexity of human nature.
Churchill defeated Hitler, for goodness sake.
If we can't celebrate him, who can we celebrate?
:: Watch The Pledge every Thursday from 8pm on Sky News.