The council of the London borough of Tower Hamlets has withdrawn funding for a series of public debates after the group running them refused to drop a prominent Islamist from the speakers list.
150 Muslims in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets voted in agreement with Dr Abdul Wahid, head of the British branch of the worldwide Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, that political participation has failed British Muslims.
Wahid encouraged Muslims to work outside the political system. Joining a mainstream political party was “selling out”, he argued. Referring to Britain’s “moral crisis” he asked: “Why don't we establish those Islamic values in our country as an example for people to look up to?”
A 2006 study by the think-tank Policy Exchange found that 84 percent of British Muslims felt they had fared well in British society.
The debate at the London Muslim Centre on Tuesday 26th February was organised by the Cordoba Foundation. The foundation had received a grant of £19,000 from Tower Hamlets council to fund a series of debates.
Tower Hamlets council leader Denise Jones asked the foundation to cancel its invitation to Dr Wahid. When the foundation refused, Tower Hamlets Town Hall released a statement saying:
"The Cordoba Foundation has informed the council that it now feels it is unable to agree to the request to withdraw the invitation to one of the panel members. This decision unfortunately means the council feels it is no longer able to support this event."
Tory Opposition councillor Tim Archer said that the council’s withdrawing of public funding for the debate was not enough. Allowing the event to go ahead “smacks of political correctness and a real lack of courage to tackle difficult issues,” he said, adding that the foundation should receive no further funding, “not in our name.”
Founded by Anas Altikriti in 2005, the Cordoba Foundation says it aims to promote a “better understanding and clearer comprehension of inter-communal and inter-religious issues in Britain, across Europe and beyond.”
The Foundation’s director Anas Altikriti is alleged to have ties with Hamas, the Palestinian franchise of the Muslim Brotherhood.