Government Has A Duty Also To Help Prevent Spread of Extremist Ideas

T H E M U S L I M C O U N C I L O F B R I T A I N
20 September 2006
Press Release

Government Has A Duty Also To Help Prevent Spread of Extremist Ideas

In response to the speech earlier today from the Home Secretary, John Reid,
the Muslim Council of Britain firmly believes that all parents, both Muslims
and non-Muslims, have an important responsibility in being vigilant and
ensuring that their children are not misled by criminal and extremist
elements in society.

However, the MCB notes that the government needs to also recognise the
impact of some of its own policies, domestic and foreign, in contributing to
the spread of extremist ideas.

"It is as though in response to the threat of Global Warming and the threat
of rising water levels, the government were to ask all of us merely to place
sandbags outside our homes to prevent flooding. Surely, the more sensible
way forward would be to tackle the causes of Global Warming. Similarly, in
continuing to ignore the damage that some of our foreign policies,
particularly in the Middle East, have done to our national security, the
government is not facing up to a major contributory factor behind the rise
of extremism," said Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of the Muslim
Council of Britain.

[ENDS]

Notes to Editors:

The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's representative Muslim umbrella
body with over 400 affiliated national, regional and local organisations,
mosques, charities and schools.

For further information please contact: The Muslim Council of Britain,
Boardman House, 64 Broadway, Stratford, London E15 1NT,
Tel: 07956 353 738 or 020 8432 0585/6, Fax: 0208 432 0587