Cllr Tomlinson Organises Meeting With Muslim Community

Councillor Tomlinson & Patrick Mercer MP address the meeting.

MUSLIMS say extremists have no place in Swindon mosques.

They say that any fundamentalists trying to recruit terrorists in the town would fail.

And they have called for an end to all violence including that meted out to Palestinians by the Anglo-American backed Israeli army.

At a meeting of about 15 Swindon Muslims and the Conservative Party's national spokesman for homeland security, Patrick Mercer, Muslims voiced their opposition to terrorism and said it needed to be separated in people's minds from the issue of religion.

Mr Mercer told them at the meeting at Drove Community Centre: "You are going to be subject to attempts to radicalise people, especially the young.

"If you as a community can be aware of the problems and pressures being exerted on you, I hope you can seek to reject the deeply damaging elements in this country."

Mansoor Khan, general secretary of the Swindon Islamic Association, said that everything was being done to prevent fundamentalists gaining a foothold among the town's Muslim population.

"We are working very closely with the police and always keep our ears to the ground," said Mr Khan.

"There are absolutely no extremists in Swindon."

Another member of the audience, Mohammed Ishak Mogul, said: "We all have the security and interests of the country at heart. We are just as much law abiding citizens as anybody else."

And Atif Hussain, 29, of West Swindon, said he was just as afraid of terrorism as non-Muslims were.

"We still have a fear and whatever happens we have to be very careful," he added. While the meeting was in agreement over the need to tackle the more extremist elements of Islam, there were differing views about the causes of terrorism.

Mr Mercer said international terrorism came from international hatred and international envy.

"Some radicals see the West as an evil influence that can only be stopped with force and violence," he added.

But Mr Khan suggested that terrorism would disappear if the British Government had the courage to tackle its root cause.

"Palestine is a sore point and it needs to be solved," he said.

And Azim Khan added: "What we want is for justice for the third world, for the Palestinians and Iraqis.

"The UK needs to distance itself from the imperialism of the Americ-ans."

The meeting was organised by Coun Justin Tomlinson (Con, Abbey Meads) and Matt McCue, Conservative candidate for the Central ward.

Mr Tomlinson said that the meeting was an important opportunity to listen to Muslims' thoughts and concerns, while Mr McCue, said that he hoped it was the first of many.

Evening Advertiser - 13th May 2004