Muslims get £1.3m hotline to Cabinet
YOUNG Muslims will get direct access to Cabinet Ministers in a £1.3million “community cohesion” initiative, it emerged yesterday.
The new Young Muslim Advisory group is the brainchild of Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears. [>
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But a row erupted last night over the appointment to it of a member of the Socialist Worker Party. [>
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Also, the Government was forced to admit that there were no similar groups for Christians, Jews or Hindus. [>
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Tory cohesion spokeswoman Baroness Sayeeda Warsi blasted the group as yet another example of Labour’s “state multiculturalism” which she said fostered a “divided Britain”. [>
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Outrage centred on the appointment of Sabiha Iqbal, 17, to the group. [>
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She is a member of the tiny Trotskyite sect that has “expressed solidarity” with Hezbollah terrorists, while trying to forge links with hardline British Muslims. [>
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Ms Iqbal, from Bradford, is studying at Leeds university. [>
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Last night Ms Blears defended inviting her appointment. She said: “If you don’t want to change the world at 17, that’s a shame. This group is made up of people with a wide range of beliefs. Getting them around a table to talk is all about democracy in action.” [>
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Mr Balls said he had hope for Ms Iqbal as a “role model”. Ms Iqbal believes Muslims are often “greatly misrepresented” and says she wants to support a diverse community through “understanding, acceptance and empathy”. [>
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Other members of the 20-strong panel are from moderate groups such as the Sufi Muslim Council. [>
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The panel is one of the beneficiaries of a £1.3million scheme that provides grants to groups that help Muslims fight “extremist influences”. [>
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The budget has doubled in a year and is expected to increase to £2million in 2009. [>