19/01/2015

PM Defends Letter Sent To Senior Muslims

The Prime Minister has defended a letter sent by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to the Muslim Council of Britain as "reasonable, sensible and moderate".

The letter called on the council to explain how Islam "can be a part of British identity". The council said that the letter "appeared to suggest" that Muslins and Island were "inherently apart from British society"

David Cameron said that Mr Pickles was "absolutely right" to send the letter, which comes in the wake of the Paris attacks.

The prime minister is quoted as saying: "Anyone who reads this letter - and I've read the letter - will see that what he is saying is that British Muslims make a great contribution to our country, that what is happening in terms of extremist terror has nothing to do with the true religion of Islam.

"It's being perverted by a minority who have been radicalised.

"Anyone reading this letter, who has a problem with it, I think really has a problem."

According to a report by the BBC, Mr Pickles stresses in the letter that he is "proud" of Muslims in Britain, but adds that there is "more work to do".

(MH/IT)

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