UK Muslims must beat terror threat
Says Tory Muslim Cabinet minister
BRITISH Muslims have a ‘special burden’ to tackle terrorism in the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris, a Tory minister has warned.
Sajid Javid, who is Britain’s most senior Muslim politician, said it is ‘lazy and wrong’ to claim Islam had nothing to do with the French atrocities that saw 17 people killed.
In a frank intervention, the Culture Secretary challenged the Muslim community to combat extremism by rooting out jihadis.
And in a candid appraisal of the threat posed by extremists, Mr Javid, 45, said there can be ‘no getting away from the fact’ the ‘barbaric’ terrorists behind the attacks in Paris ‘call themselves Muslims’.
The MP, who is the son of Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, called on Britain’s Islamic community to report those who have been radicalised or might be tempted.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘There is no getting away from the fact that the people carrying out these acts call themselves Muslims. The lazy answer from people out there would be to say that this has got nothing whatsoever to do with Islam or Muslims and that should be the end of that part of the debate. That would be lazy and wrong.
‘You can’t get away from the fact that these people are using Islam … as their tool to carry out their horrible activities.’
Yesterday Prime Minister David Cameron admitted the attack in Paris was the sort of thing that kept him awake at night.
He said: ‘I, of course, am very concerned about the threats we face in this country and we have to be eternally vigilant about them.’
Mr Javid, who has been tipped as a future Tory leader, said the Muslim community had a particular responsibility to help stop those who have been radicalised.
‘I think it is absolutely fair to say that there is a special burden on Muslim communities, because whether we like it or not, these terrorists call themselves Muslims,’ he told Sky News.
Mr Javid, who yesterday afternoon joined a solidarity rally in Trafalgar Square, said the atrocities were ‘not just an attack on France’.
‘It was in many ways an attack on Britain and all freedom- l oving countries, all countries that value freedom of speech and freedom of expression,’ he added. His comments come in contrast to other senior politicians, who have appeared eager to avoid linking the atrocities committed by extremists with mainstream Muslim communities in Britain.
Inayat Bunglawala, founder of Muslims4UK, which promotes Muslim engagement in society, said: ‘These terrorists are clearly intent on harming relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. British Muslims can help thwart that by showing they are every bit as opposed to these fanatical acts as others in our society.’
Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, has said ‘nothing is more immoral, offensive and insulting against our beloved Prophet than such a callous act of murder’.