DAR AL HARB - U.K.: STEPS TO COMBAT MOSLEM EXTREMISM

Steps to combat Muslim extremism

Sir – A survey by Policy Exchange (News, January 29) reveals the growing unease felt by many in Britain that Muslim youth have become more radicalised and vulnerable to indoctrination by extremist religious elements than their parents ever were.

Muslim community elders are unable to reverse the cycle of hatred rife in their societies. These are unintended consequences of understandable fears of cultural annihilation felt by Muslim immigrants, but much of the damage was done by families insisting on freezing inherited identities by re-branding them as religious obligations. That has led to the situation where radical Islam has become the answer, the only identity for too many of British Muslim youth.

As a British Muslim parent with a relatively liberal outlook towards integration, I urge the Government to take appropriate steps to counter the growing menace of extremism among today's Muslim generation. This will need to be done in partnership with moderate British Muslims who are worried about their children's future, regardless of the opposition by Muslim organisations which in effect have condoned and supported the propagation of such ideas.

The monitoring of imams suspected of spewing hate-filled messages, strict regularisation of uncontrolled growth of madrassahs and compulsory inclusion of women in the committees managing British Islamic institutions need to be made top priorities for the Government, should it wish to avoid a situation where yet another generation of British Muslims would grow up segregated from the rest of the society, fostering hatred, aspiring to one day impose a law of their own liking on to this land and its people.


Pertinent Links:

1) Steps to Combat Muslim Extremism