London,
UK, December 4 – The report issued today by the think tank Demos is
further evidence that the Government plays politics with security and
community relations in a reckless fashion when it continually sought to
deny the link between its policies and violence and insecurity. The
report blames Government policies for 'aiding extremism' and driving a
wedge between the Muslim community and the wider society.

The report states: "In the meeting rooms of Whitehall, ministers were assuring Muslim leaders of the need for partnership, but in press briefings they were talking of the need for Muslims to 'get serious' about terrorism, spy on their children, and put up with inconveniences in the greater good of national security."

The report continues, "The government needs to respond to the grievances of the Muslim community — either to accept them or to refute them…By viewing Muslims as a single interest group the government has failed to draw a clear enough distinction between angry Muslim opinion and those that would seek to inflict violence and terror."

Commenting on the new report, Dr Imran Waheed, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, "The general public should find it alarming that the Government plays politics with security. This report adds to the huge amount of evidence that the policies of the Government are fuelling violence and adversely affecting community relations. The government has sought to divert attention from serious issues of domestic and foreign policy by headline grabbing measures and ridiculous proposals like spying on children. While report after report has unveiled the link between the Iraq war and violence, the Government has buried its head under the sand in denial."

"After an Autumn of Government ministers piling in to vilify the Muslim community, we wait to see what New Labour headline grabbing, ill thought out policies are advocated by the Government in the last months of Blair's premiership and the run up to next year's elections."

[Ends]