Policies 'push Muslims to violence'

12 April 2012

Attempts by the Government to engage with the Muslim community have backfired and are driving people into the arms of violent extremists, it has been claimed.

A report by the think tank Demos said government initiatives since the July 7 attacks in London had tended to "drive a wedge" between Muslims and the wider community rather than isolate the extremists.

The report - which was part funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government - accused ministers of failing to engage with Muslims over "reasonable" grievances, including British foreign policy in Iraq and elsewhere.

The Government's attempts to involve Muslims in policy-making are criticised as being "rushed, conducted on the Government's terms, failing to break away from 'the usual suspects' and with little follow through".

The report said: "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."

It said that the Government's actions are breeding "resentment and alienation" among Muslims, playing into the the hands of the extremists.

"Despite some commendable attempts at engagement, the Government's actions continue to drive a wedge between the majority of British Muslims and the rest of society, rather than isolating the violent few," the report said.

Hampering the Governments efforts has been an overly simplistic characterisation of Muslim communities, which fails to account for the diversity of local experience.

"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.

"The result is that rather than being isolated, extremists are able to attract support from communities cut adrift from mainstream British society."

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