Sadiq Khan today called on his fellow Muslims not to “bury our heads in the sand” over the scale of extremism in the UK — and to do more to root out radicalisation.
Labour’s mayoral candidate said his community’s involvement was key, not because it was responsible for devastating attacks like in Paris but because it was uniquely placed to tackle the threat. In a highly personal intervention, he revealed his own “painful” experiences of extremism during his professional and political career, in his neighbourhood and the impact on his family.
“Extremism isn’t a theoretical risk,” he said. “Most British Muslims have come across someone with extremist views at some point.” It came as Muslim mothers in Britain were urged by a government minister to save their daughters from being lured into joining Islamic State. Baroness Sandip Verma said mothers must be “encouraged to understand and prevent extremism at home” to protect their children. [Evening Standard] Read more
