Muslim groups 'patronising' (From Asian Image)

Muslim groups 'patronising'

5:17pm Monday 27th October 2008

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Government groups focused on Muslim women are “patronising”, a Muslim peer has said.

Shadow Cabinet member Baroness Warsi picked out the example of the Muslim Women’s Advisory Group, launched this year to advise the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Lady Warsi, shadow minister for social cohesion, told peers at question time: “The creation of such groups is actually dividing communities and it is quite patronising because it says to Muslim women you can only engage with us as Muslim women and not as individuals.”

But Lord Patel of Bradford, for the Government, replied: “If it is suggested that by focusing on Muslims or Muslim women we are patronising them or creating divisions that were not previously there I completely disagree.

”We are working with a community that has disproportionately high rates of unemployment, poor educational attainment and poor health all of which lead to disenfranchisement and alienation.

”We cannot address those issues faced by the Muslim community and Muslim women if we don’t engage with them just as we do with wider inter-faith groups.”

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