Muslim leaders pledge to root out the extremists in their community

Salam/Peace:

Mainstream Muslim leaders will inform Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, today of the measures they intend to take to tackle extremism in their communities.

A group of 25 leaders declared their determination to confront violent and reactionary believers in their midst after a meeting yesterday with Tony Blair at Downing Street. They agreed to set up a task force that would explore the extent of disaffection among the Muslim population.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the No 10 meeting - attended by the Conservative leader, Michael Howard, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy - had been "an important listening exercise".

The Labour MP Shahid Malik, whose Dewsbury constituency was home to one of the bombers, indicated there was a desire to take on the "profound challenge" of rooting out extremism. "I think everyone here is up for the challenge," he said. "We have to work better at confronting these evil voices - minute as they are in our community."

Mr Blair said the meeting had shown there was a "very strong desire" to "confront, and deal with head on, the extremism that is based on a perversion of the true faith of Islam."

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