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Generation Gap: Muslim U.K. Style
20 April 2005A meeting of the Muslim Council of Britain, the main umbrella group for Muslims in Britain which gathered to discuss a "voter guide" for the next general election, was disrupted by a group of young Muslim protesters thought to be associated with the fringe group Al Muhajiroun. Members of the group slapped the MCB chief; said that voting was against the Islamic faith and condemned any voters as apostates; declared MCB a mouthpiece for Tony Blair; and said Blair was a devil who "'should go to hell.'" The MCB, which had hoped to graduate from a series of regional meetings to an eventual audience with Tony Blair to discuss Muslim concerns about anti-terrorism laws, education, discrimination and other issues, described the demonstration as a PR-disaster for the public perception of Islam. But, though the MCB chief laughed off the scuffle as "democracy in action," a Conservative MCB candidate suggested another PR problem: that many Muslims, both traditionalist and reform-minded, do not feel represented by the MCB and the protesters should be seen as part of a "'growing cancer'" of young, disenchanted Muslims who "'don't want to engage.'" But disaffected youth is supposed to be such a decadent West thing...
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