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| Muslim leaders helped to tackle extremists |
| 2007-04-02 |
| Hat Tip: Little Green Footballs Muslim "opinion formers", including imams, are to be given lessons in civic leadership under a new plan to tackle Islamic extremism in Britain. Ruth Kelly, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, will this week announce details of a £6 million "hearts and minds" drive to deal with growing radicalism among young British Muslims which can fuel terrorist plots. Also part of the plan are school-twinning projects, in which pupils from mainly Muslim schools will undertake joint projects, such as music and drama, with children from predominantly white establishments. The schools could go on trips together, while groups of pupils could spend days in each other's classrooms. Miss Kelly will also announce a major increase in the number of "forums against extremism" - regional groups which meet regularly and which were set up in the wake of the July 7 London bombings to enable Muslims to discuss ways of tackling extremism. Eight have been established in troubled areas including Redbridge, Leicester, Preston and Dudley and the number could rise to 40 nationally. In the civic leadership sessions, -opinion-formers will be given special training in how to face down extremism and to be role models for moderation and tolerance. Ministers hope they will then be able to go on missions inside places where radicalism can be fomented, including prisons and hardline mosques. A source inside Miss Kelly's department said: "You have got to be able to energise the silent majority in a community so they don't have any truck with any of this extremist nonsense." Miss Kelly's announcement will form the first part of a twin-track strategy set out by the Government on how to deal with the growing terrorist threat posed by British Muslim extremists. Separate security measures will be unveiled at a later date by John Reid, the Home -Secretary. Miss Kelly has, however, lost out in a Whitehall turf-war resulting from the decision to split the Home Office into a new Office of National Security and a separate Ministry of Justice, revealed by this newspaper earlier this year. Much of the work countering radicalism, which her department has been leading, will be taken over by a joint information unit inside the Office for National Security. The Department for Communities is expected to lose a chunk of its budget and of its staff when the new system gets under way, a decision that is said to have brought "enormous chagrin" both to Miss Kelly and her senior officials. This week's announcement, however, will be made before Miss Kelly loses this responsibility. She is expected to say in a speech on Thursday: "While the threat is real and serious, it is a small minority who spread hatred and intolerance. We need a new alliance and strengthened unity of purpose to defeat them. "I know from my conversations with Muslim communities up and down the country that the desire and commitment to tackle extremism is there. There are many people in communities who are already taking a brave stand and doing incredible work. We need to step up support. "We need to support people in building communities where extremism is resolutely isolated, and where all doors are shut to those who seek division and violence." Caroline Spelman, the shadow local government secretary, said: "Ruth Kelly is acknowledging that the Government's approach to creating a more cohesive society has failed and I doubt a regional talk shop is enough to fix the problem." |
| Posted by:Delphi2005 |
| #3 How many one-way tickets to Pakistan can you buy with 6 million pounds? |
| Posted by: GK 2007-04-02 14:44 |
| #2 And with today being the Second Most Important Day in America, The Mariners want to win the World Series, too. (don't hold your breath for either thing to happen) |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-04-02 14:44 |
| #1 I'm thinking "Trust but verify". I suppose this means that they wouldn't mind signing a paper stating that those involved in preaching hate should have their schools/mosques closed and be deported. Personally, I would feel better. |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-04-02 13:45 |