TONY BLAIR MEETS MUSLIM LEADERS
(19 July 2005)

Tony Blair has discussed the UK's community relations today in the aftermath of the London bombings. He met today (19 July 2005) with senior Muslims, as well as representatives from the opposition parties, in Downing Street. Speaking afterwards, Mr Blair said there was a 'strong desire' from those who met to set up a task force to speak to young Muslims in the UK 'and confront this evil ideology and defeat it.' He said it had been a 'very heartening meeting' which had showed a 'remarkable degree of unity' between the different representatives.

Mr Blair later told journalists that the terrorists had a 'twisted logic' and would use any excuse to justify their actions.

Among those attending the meeting were: Lord Nazir Ahmed; Khurshid Ahmed (Commission for Racial Equality); Yousef Al-Khoei (Al Khoei Foundation); Azhar Ali; Zaki Badawi (Muslim College); Abdul Bari (London Muslim Centre); Lord Amir Bhatia; Baroness Kishwer Falkner; Farzana Hakim (Commission for Racial Equality); Dilwar Hussain; Sarah Joseph; Sadiq Khan MP; Sabira Lakha (Federation of Shia Muslim communities); Khalid Mahmood MP; Shahid Malik MP; Shazia Malik; Imam Ibrahim Mogra; Gul Muhammad (British Muslim Forum); Bushra Nasir; Sir Gulam Noon; Lord Adam Patel; Ghulam Rabbani; Sir Iqbal Sacranie (Muslim Council of Britain); Mohammad Sarwar MP; Baroness Pola Uddin.

However the Prime Minister's press briefing held earlier was more acrimonious. Asked for a reaction both to Omar Bakri Mohammed's comment in today's Evening Standard that the London bombings had been the responsibility of the British people for electing Tony Blair as Prime Minister, and also to the UK leader of al Muhajiroun, Anjem Choudray, who had said, among other things, on the Today Programme this morning that anyone who sat down with the Prime Minister today would be sitting down with a tyrant and that another 7/7 was a very real possibility, the PMOS (Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson) said that "the views of certain individuals should not be mistaken for the views of the community as a whole.

It was important for us to listen to the vast majority of voices in the Muslim community, not just today but in the period since the bombings. Those voices had not only outrightly condemned the bombings, but had also recognised that Muslims must take on the argument against the extremists within their own community. Today's meeting with the Prime Minister was all about mobilising the moderate voice within Islam to take on the arguments within the Muslim community."

Pressed by 'The Sun' to explain how extremists were allowed to express their views when the Government was introducing measures to outlaw anything which encouraged or indirectly incited terrorism, the PMOS said that "the entire point of today's meeting was to focus on moderate Muslim opinion. He had no intention of fuelling any more headlines about extremists. No one should be in any doubt about the Government's resolute approach to taking on the extremist voices within the Muslim community.

That was precisely why we were proposing changes to the law. It was also why we had the support, in principle, of the Opposition parties. In reacting to those extremist voices, it was obviously important not to give them more attention than the moderates. Ultimately, it was for the authorities to monitor and make assessments about the things people said in terms of whether it was within the law or not. "

Asked for a reaction to the view expressed by the Muslim Council of Great Britain and Zaki Badawi, the head of the Muslim College, that the Prime Minister must understand that the Iraq war had contributed to the feelings of social dislocation, exclusion and disillusionment with mainstream politics, particularly among Muslim youths, the PMOS pointed "we recognise that some people would use issues such as Iraq, Israel/Palestine and Afghanistan to further their aims. However, it was important to understand that these were not the root cause of extremism. The root cause was a perverse ideology.

Asked what the Prime Minister was expecting Muslim community leaders to do, the PMOS said that "it was important not to underestimate the action which the Muslim community had already taken, such as the resolution announced by the Imams yesterdays. That should get as much public attention as the views of one or two notorious individuals. Today's meeting was an opportunity for the Prime Minister and the leaders of the Opposition parties to listen to the Muslim community and also to underline that although words of condemnation were welcome, we needed further action on the ground.

He emphasised that today's meeting was by no means the end of the process. It was only the start. It's aim was to establish a dynamic and a momentum which would reach out into the Muslim community.

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, an Islamic political party, has already denounced this morning's meeting between members of the Muslim community and the UK government. It issued a statement saying that the meeting "failed to address with any seriousness some of the most important issues facing the Muslim community."

Dr Imran Waheed, the Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "This meeting has no great significance as those who attended it largely agree with the agenda already put forward by the government for the Muslim community. This suggests that it was no more than a photo opportunity."

"The link between British foreign policy in the Muslim world and the resultant radicalisation of the entire Muslim people was completely ignored in these discussions. Legitimate political dissent to foreign policy is being portrayed as extremism. This illustrates the lack of seriousness in understanding the real feeling amongst the Muslim masses and the level of denial that permeates through government."

"It is worrying that the close affiliation of many of the participants with government does not confer upon them the impartiality and independence that our community requires at this juncture."

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