Taking an unprecedented step, the British government has written to every mosque in the United Kingdom, calling upon Muslim leaders to do more to force out those preaching extremism, said a report published on The Telegraph.
On behalf of the government, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has written to 1,100 imams and Muslim leaders across the country, urging them to condemn Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for the Charlie Hebdo attack.
Twelve people were shot dead — including a Muslim cop Ahmed Merabet — when two militants had stormed into the offices of France's satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in reaction to disrespectful cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) published by the magazine.
The letters, which were sent last Friday, said that Whitehall was unable to defeat extremist ideology alone and that Muslim leaders have “a responsibility” to prevent young men and women from being radicalised.
It also urged imams to explain to young people what it meant to be British and said that mosques which would identify hate preachers within their midst can receive free advice to force them out.
This initiative by the British government has come at a time when religious tension between communities in Britain is running high.
In the letter, Pickles and Lord Ahmad, the communities minister, said that imam must declare “more clearly than ever before” that Muslims should feel proud calling themselves British.
“We must show our young people, who may be targeted, that extremists have nothing to offer them.
“We must show them that there are other ways to express disagreement: that their right to do so is dependent on the very freedoms that extremists seek to destroy,” the letter said.
The communities minister asked the Muslim leaders to tell young people that “these men of hate have no place in our mosques or any place of worship, and that they do not speak for Muslims in Britain or anywhere in the world”.
“Let us assure you that the government will do all we can to defeat the voices of division, but ultimately the challenges of integration and radicalisation cannot be solved from Whitehall alone. Strong community-based leadership at a local level is needed,” he said.
