Report is 'PR stunt' (From Asian Image)

Report is 'PR stunt'

2:27pm Tuesday 30th October 2007

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An Islamic organisation has condemned the opportunist release of a report by the Policy Exchange.

It has been reported agencies linked to the Saudi government have distributed extremist literature to mosques and Islamic centers in Britain.

The Policy Exchange said the material expressed a deep-rooted antipathy toward Western society, calling for violence against enemies of Islam, including women and gays who demand equal rights.

The Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS)hit back however claiming that whilst the report is an important contribution to the academic literature on Mosques it Britain, it is actually nothing more than a PR stunt aimed to gain publicity on the back of the controversy surrounding the visit of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Faisal Hanjra, spokesman for FOSIS, said, "It is severely reprehensible for any organisation to attempt to gain short-term publicity at the expense of damaging community relations in the UK.

"The Policy Exchange document does nothing more than present single sentences, from often large documents, out of context.

"The report also fails to adequately define the term extremist literature' instead applying this label to anything outside of the authors' own personal realms of social acceptability.

"Finally, the report arrives at the illogical conclusion that this literature is in part responsible for terrorism, something not supported by the actual contents of the report."

He further added, "For the release of a year-long research report to coincide with the arrival of King Abdullah into this country is certainly suspicious.

"It is important that all contributions to important debates of this nature are carried out without alternative motives in mind.

"This report may result in short-term gains for some organisations, but it will certainly be at the expense of long-term community relations here in the UK. This attempt at flagrant opportunism should not be tolerated.

"FOSIS notes that many of the mosques mentioned in the report are at the forefront of building greater community cohesion, advancing interfaith dialogue and building bridges between the Muslim community and wider British society.

"It is important to take into consideration the significant damage sensationalist reports, similar to the one issued by Policy Exchange, do to the psyche of the Muslim population in the UK, often resulting in increased feelings of alienation and isolation."

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