Word: muslims
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...least 50 militants (as well as 14 soldiers), and the army was mopping up small pockets of resistance inside the compound. Yet the siege could become the first salvo in a divisive war for Pakistan's soul: to be a traditional, Shari'a-based society, or a modern, moderate Muslim nation. As the urban élite and middle class lauded what they considered to be Musharraf's action to clean out a hotbed of radicalism, protests erupted in the tribal areas condemning the President and lionizing Ghazi...
...thwarted terrorist attack. Gordon Brown's new government responded to the immediate crisis in a measured way. But the longer-term crisis, the phenomenon of "Islamic" terrorism, remains. To cope with it, Brown's administration will need several layers of strategic policy, including an enlightened focus on winning Muslim hearts and minds...
...Both in Britain and internationally, the Muslim community must be secured as an ally in the war against terror. "Islamic" terrorism is condemned by mainstream Islam as a practice contrary to the basic tenets of the faith (hence the need for inverted commas). This condemnation must take practical shape. Parents must be vigilant against the radicalization of their children; congregations must reject radical preachers who claim the mimbar (pulpit); the wider community must be ready to cast from its midst those plotting and carrying out criminal acts. With the Muslim community as an ally...
...complicating factor is the lack of a single homogeneous Muslim community in Britain. Rather there is a rich tapestry of communities from different countries (Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia, various Arab states), with different languages (Arabic, Persian, Urdu) and different ways of practicing Islam (Shi'a, Sunni, Wahhabi). Among them are a significant number of inward-facing Muslims?economic immigrants who aren't particularly interested in learning to speak English, participating in British culture or making friends outside their community. There is little contest in their eyes between the importance of their faith and their status as U.K. residents or citizens...
...These inward-facing segments of the Muslim community are often viewed with disquiet as potential hotbeds of radicalization. The starting point for addressing such concerns is education - to instill among these Muslims a sense of their place within (not outside) British society. They should be given every opportunity to learn English, to acquire knowledge about Britain and to participate in community-led initiatives. Such measures will provide for greater interaction between Muslims and the rest of British society. That interaction will eventually lead to integration, which will diminish the likelihood of radicalization...