GOVERNMENT SNUB TO BIRMINGHAM MUSLIMS

16-08-2006

The government has snubbed Birmingham Muslims by refusing to invite the chairman of the city's central mosque to a two-day anti-terrorism summit in London.

More than 30 “community leaders” were asked to meet Ruth Kelly the Communities Minister but Dr Mohammed Naseem, an outspoken critic of Tony Blair's foreign policy, was conspicuously absent.

An unapologetic Dr Naseem told The Stirrer he thinks last week's terror alert was “silly.”

Following the meetings, which also had input from Deputy PM John Prescott, Kelly called on senior Muslims to do more to combat terrorism.

It was also revealed that series of ministerial roadshows would be held in major cities across the UK - including Birmingham - to drive home the message.

If all this sounds a bit familiar, that's because it is.

Similar roadshows were held last year in the wake of the July 7 bombings, but to precious little effect.

Were they just a cynical photo-opportunity? Ooh, perish the thought.

In any event, they haven't made any practical difference.

The Labour MP Sadiq Khan recently complained that the vast majority of the 64 recommendations drawn up by the Preventing Extremism Together workshops had been ignored.

It certainly seems curious that if you're trying to engage the Muslim community that you can ignore Dr Naseem, the leader of the largest mosque in England's second city.

Maybe he would have said too many things the ministers didn't want to hear.

Commenting about last week's terror alert, for example, he told us: “The idea of this plot is so silly.

"If these liquids are so dangerous, why are they all being poured together into large vats at the airports.

"All it would take is five people to combine to put whatever dangerous substances they have into one of these containers with a small detonator and they could cause a real problem.

"So either the way they are dealing with the situation is dangerous, or the whole thing is a fabrication."