London, UK, October 11 – The speech this morning by the Communities Secretary, Ruth Kelly, at the Local Government Association confirms that her ministerial brief is to pacify the sense of injustice in the Muslim community towards foreign policy, rather than address the injustices themselves. While stating that "sweeping disagreements under the carpet is dangerous", Kelly paid mere lip service to Muslim concerns over foreign policy and once again denied the role of Western foreign policy – particularly the Iraq war – in causing and fuelling violence.
Despite Muslim groups and personalities from all sides of the political spectrum having expressed their condemnation of British foreign policy and attempted to explain the legitimate political grievances of many, a succession of Cabinet Ministers have lined up to dismiss such concerns – Phil Woolas, the minister with responsibility for community cohesion, recently described such concerns as a "load of crap".
Commenting on her speech, Imran Waheed, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "Ruth Kelly tried to deny that the government is shifting the blame to the Muslim community by talking of a 'shared problem'. However John Reid's demand that Muslim parents spy on their children, Straw's comments on the veil causing 'separation and difference' and Kelly's previous comments on Islamic schools promoting extremism and isolationism, show clearly that the government is intent on shifting the blame from foreign policy to the Muslim community."
"Her talk of supporting 'deradicalisation programmes' seemed to be lifted from a communist party manifesto. This was further evidenced by the threat that the government will only fund those organisations that tow the government line. In essence, we are seeing the creation of a New Labour state-sponsored Islam, akin to that adopted by the dictators of the Muslim world."
"Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain urges the Muslim community to remain united, and not be divided along government lines of so called 'moderate' and 'extremist', and not to be silenced but to continue to speak the truth against injustice and oppression through political means as taught to us by Islam."
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CONTACT:
Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain
Email: press@hizb.org.uk
Web: www.hizb.org.uk
Phone: +44(0)7074-192400
