British Muslim leaders and Prime Minister Tony Blair discussed ways to tackle radical Islamists on Tuesday in the wake of the London bombings, but face a tough task to win round disaffected young Muslims.
Senior imams, Muslim politicians and representatives of the Muslim Council of Britain went to Downing Street where they had anhour-long discussion with Blair.
“There was a strong desire from everybody there to make sure we establish the right mechanisms for people to be able to go into thecommunity and confront this … evil ideology, take it on anddefeat it,” Blair told a news conference afterwards.
Muslim member of parliament Shahid Malik said there was “a massive appetite” among Britain’s 1.6 million Muslims to weed outradicals.
“We recognise we’ve got to work better at confronting those evilvoices – as minute as they are – inside our communities,” hesaid.
But radical Muslims dismissed the meeting as a sham and evensome moderates said they were suspicious of Blair’s agenda.
“The whole focus has been on trying to put the blame on Islamand the Muslim leadership,” said Ahmed Versi, editor of the MuslimNews, Britain’s biggest selling Muslim newspaper.
He said there was “deep concern” in the Muslim community “abouthow far Blair may try and impose some kind of secularinterpretation of Islam in his declared aim of helping Muslims tofind a ‘moderate and true voice’.”
The attacks of July 7, and the revelation that the bombers wereBritish Muslims and not foreign militants, has sent shock wavesthrough the country’s Islamic community.
While condemning the bombings, Muslim leaders have had to acceptthere are radicals in their midst who advocate violence and preachhatred of the West.
Some Muslims have called for reform in Britain’s mosques, whichthey say are out of touch with young Muslims.
Others have urged police to clamp down on radical Islamistgroups who regularly canvas outside mosques and on universitycampuses.
One such group, Al Muhajiroun, disbanded last year but itsformer members are still active.
Its former leader in Britain, Anjem Choudary, said today’smeeting at Downing Street was an irrelevance.
“The type of so-called Muslims at this meeting are those who toethe government line,” he said.
“They are the lackeys of the British government. They’re theones who have been appointed by Tony Blair to be the official voiceof the Muslims.”
He said Britain would inevitably be attacked again by Islamistmilitants if it refused to change its foreign policy in Iraq, theMiddle East and Kashmir.
“For us, the main objectives are to work to implement the shariawherever we are and obviously to support the jihad wherever it istaking place,” he added.
Faced with such militancy, the Muslim Council of Britain facesan uphill struggle.
While it is an influential umbrella group which brings togethersome 400 British Muslim organisations, it has come under fire fromsome young Muslims who say it is out of touch with theirfeelings.