Blair Says Moderate Muslims For Not Doing Enough To Tackle Extremism
Shaveta Bansal - All Headline News Staff Writer London, England (AHN) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Tuesday that he was trying to connect to Britain's Muslim community but insisted that the Islamic extremism could not be defeated with the sole efforts of the government. The Prime Minister says moderate Muslims were not doing enough to challenge extremists in their communities. Blair says that the extremism in United Kingdom could be curbed only if Muslim leaders change their attitude. He said that there was an impression that Muslim leaders sympathized with extremists' grievances but disagreed with their actions. A poll conducted by Populus for The Times newspaper on Tuesday showed 13 percent of Britain's 1.6 million Muslims think the four Islamic suicide bombers who killed 52 people in London in July 7 bombings last year should be regarded as "martyrs." The premier called for a more "fundamental" debate, where extremists' views and ideology were condemned - not just their methods. His comments came after Labour MP Sadiq Khan, a British-born Muslim, on Monday said Blair was behaving like the nursery rhyme character the Duke of York - "marching all these talented British Muslims up the hill of consultation and dialog, only to march them down again." He told BBC radio that members of Muslim working groups set up by the Government were "some of the most disillusioned and ... disenfranchised memb |
