LONDON, Nov 23: The head of Britain’s Commission for Racial Equality sharply criticised a government minister on Sunday for telling the country’s Muslims they had to choose between democracy and terrorism.

“This type of language will simply drive Muslims who believe that once again they are being stereotyped into the arms of extremists,” said the commission’s president, Trevor Phillips.

He was referring to the text of a speech by Minister for Europe Denis MacShane, which said: “It is time for the elected and community leaders of the British Muslims to make a choice — the British way, based on political dialogue and non-violent protests, or the way of the terrorists, against which the whole democratic world is uniting.”

Phillips commented: “It is a little undiplomatic for a Foreign Office minister to suggest that the British have a monopoly on rational and civilised behaviour. Anybody who hails from a colony could adduce several centuries of evidence to the contrary.”—AFP