Clare Short under fire for meeting with anti-gay Muslims
Former cabinet minister Clare Short has angered fellow Labour MPs for meeting today with an anti-gay radical Muslim group.
The former international development secretary invited Hizb ut-Tahrir, a group which the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, wishes to ban from Britain, to speak to MPs.
Former cabinet minister Clare Short has angered fellow Labour MPs for meeting today with an anti-gay radical Muslim group.
The former international development secretary invited Hizb ut-Tahrir, a group which the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, wishes to ban from Britain, to speak to MPs. The group regularly preach anti-gay messages.
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, who represents a constituency neighbouring Ms Short’s said:”By agreeing to host this meeting, she will cause utter dismay in the mainstream Muslim community.
“For somebody like her to do this is sad and the hurt will be felt among mainstream Muslims – she should listen to them, not this very worrying group.”
Mr Mahmood claims that his constituents regularly complain of brainwashing by the radical group. “These people get into colleges and universities and manage to get at young people. I have spoken to parents who say they ‘lost’ their sons and daughters as a result.”
Miss Short invited MPs to a meeting with members of the group saying: “We seek to dispel much of the lies and propaganda surrounding Hizb ut-Tahrir.”
Sidiq Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, added: “By agreeing to this meeting Hizb ut-Tahrir is given an air of credibility that they do not deserve.”
Russia banned the group from its country in 2003, following the arrest of regional leaders found with plastic explosives, grenades, TNT and detonators.
The National Union of Students gave the group a “no platform policy” together with the far right British National Party after claiming for: “publishing material that incites racial hatred”.
Mr Blair promised to ban the group following the terrorism attacks on London last year. “Organisations that support terrorism take care to avoid infringing the strict letter of the law.” He said: ” Last August, I named Hizb Ut Tahrir as such an organisation. Within days, its website changed, putting out a very moderate message. This is an organisation banned in Germany and Denmark. It is active on campuses where it promotes its extremist message.”
