Bristol muslims: 'We can't let radicals silence us'

Muslim extremists are getting too much attention at the expense of the moderate majority, claims a Bristol community leader.

"The radicals are getting the limelight and the mainstream Muslim view is not being reported," Farooq Siddique, of the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society, told the Bristol Post.

He hit out following a conference on Sunday which he organised for 120 Muslim representatives from across the South West at Brunel's Passenger Shed next to Temple Meads Station.

They came from Yeovil, Exeter, Bournemouth and Gloucester for talks held partly to thrash out how to fight extremism. "Our community must now grab the bull by the horns," Mr Siddique said.

He was referring not only to the radicalisation of young Muslims but also to a dramatic fall in academic achievement among the community following the 9/11 attacks on the United States and their aftermath.

"Some young Muslims have become disaffected from schools and have lost confidence," he said.

Representatives of the West's police forces and local councils also attended the conference – hoped by organisers to be the first of many.

A group of Muslim women aged between 16 and 25 met separately to discuss problems they encounter before joining the main group for further discussions.

Mr Siddique said many of those who spoke at the conference had accused the UK media of focusing too much on "the bad apples" in the Muslim community.

"But they also recognised that Muslims need to engage more with the media. There needs to be better education, too – better awareness among young Muslims of the peaceful nature of Islam as opposed to the violence that is used by people with their own agendas," said Mr Siddique.

He also called for more dialogue with other communities. "We need to talk more with our neighbours," he said.

"In Bristol we are bucking the trend. But in other parts of the South West there are issues. We need to share best practice about community cohesion and social integration. We need to look at how mosques can make themselves more open to non-Muslims."

Mr Siddique said there was a lot of criticism of the Government's "Prevent" agenda on terrorism. "It's a given that the Muslim community is against terrorism," he said.

"So ministers should be talking about engagement rather than using the word Prevent. Nevertheless, people here today have been 100 per cent behind the government's agenda and the need to tackle radicalisation and terrorism. It's just the method they disagree with."