Muslim Council of Britain Dismisses New National Sufi Group as "Divisive"

July 19, 2006

Source: The Guardian

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1824129,00.html

On July 19, 2006 The Guardian reported, "A new Muslim organisation created to represent the "silent majority" of British Sufi Muslims and tackle extremism has been dismissed by the Muslim Council of Britain as unrepresentative and divisive. The MCB rejects claims by the Sufi Muslim Council (SMC), which was launched today, that existing Muslim organisations have not done enough to tackle radical extremism within the Muslim community... One of the SMC founders, Haras Rafiq... who served on the government's Muslim taskforce, created to tackle Islamic radicalisation following the 7/7 London bombings, says the SMC is seeking to fill a 'vacuum' within the Muslim community... His appearance last Friday on a Channel 4 documentary, Who Speaks for British Muslims?, which accused Muslim leaders and government officials of pandering to Islamic extremists led to an extraordinary attack by the MCB. In a press release, the MCB accused Mr Rafiq of being part of a 'motley crew of discredited figures' wheeled out to support the 'ludicrous arguments' of the programme. The journalist who presented the documentary, Martin Bright, was labelled an 'Islamophobe' seeking to divide British Muslims."

See also: Islam, International