Radical Islam is so deeply embedded in British society, even the nation’s most famously controversial and edgy artists are afraid to confront it.

Grayson Perry is a provocative, cross-dressing, award-winning potter, whose highly decorated ceramic pieces, which often feature sex, violence and anti-religious motifs, can sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

Like many artists, Perry prizes himself as a non-conformist, a creative, avant-garde revolutionary, unafraid to use art as a means of confronting tradition, religion and societal norms. But for as bold and progressive as Perry claims to be, there’s one subject that frightens him to the core.

“I’ve censored myself,” Perry said at a discussion on art and politics organized by the Art Fund. “The reason I haven’t gone all out attacking Islamism in my art is because I feel real fear that someone will slit my throat.”

For a man with such a strong reputation for stirring up controversy, Perry’s attitude toward Islamism is remarkable.

“I’m interested in religion and I’ve made a lot of pieces about it,” he said. “With other targets you’ve got a better idea of who they are, but Islamism is very amorphous. You don’t know what the threshold is. Even what seems an innocuous image might trigger off a really violent reaction, so I just play safe all the time.”

It doesn’t appear this phobia for criticizing Islam is confined to Grayson Perry.

“Perry also believes that many of his fellow visual artists have also ducked the issue, and one leading British gallery director told the Times that few major venues would be prepared to show potentially inflammatory works” (Times, November 19).

The Trumpet has monitored the growing presence and influence of radical Islam in Britain, explaining how it has become the sickness in Britain’s heart. That even contemporary artists and art galleries, many of whom make massive amounts of money breaking taboos and exploring new limits, are afraid to tackle Islam is a telling sign of the alarming presence of radical Islam in Britain.