Demos, the left-wing thinktank, has sought to defend its decision to co-sponsor IslamExpo, last weekend's event in Olympia which was dominated by members and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Writing on the blog Harry's Place, Peter Harrington, communications manager and researcher at Demos, rejected comparisons between the BNP and the Muslim Brotherhood, arguing that Demos was seeking to "force the conversation" and seeking to begin "difficult debates" about the nature of Islamic extremism.
He also said that the biased and skewed panels co-sponsored by Demos, composed entirely of Islamists and their defenders, were not a "line-up of toothless yes-men" but were instead "diverse and informed".
Unfortunately, Harrington's defence of Demos was contradicted by the events of the day itself. Indeed, during the two debates co-sponsored by Demos, the thinktank's staff were evidently embarrassed by the one-side array of speakers selected by Demos and the British Muslim Initiative, an Islamist pressure group.
During the event in Olympia's main hall entitled, "The Islamist Threat: Myth or Reality?", Catherine Fieschi, Demos' director, began by denouncing critics of her involvement and challenged them to "bring it on!". However, during the "debate" itself, she looked bored and embarrassed by the speakers' uniform opinions, appearing thoroughly glad when the one-sided event finally fizzled to a close.
Separately, at the two day "specialist course organised by the British Muslim Initiative" entitled 'Understanding Political Islam' and co-sponsored by Demos, Jamie Bartlett, a researcher at the thinktank, looked equally uncomfortable as Anas al-Tikriti told the audience that an un-named government official had complained to him that "fanatical sufis" were "dictating" policy to the government.
Indeed, at one point, Bartlett was so embarrassed by the one-sided discussion that he appealed to the audience to challenge the speakers. However, before long, he had forgotten his role as a supposedly neutral chair, telling listeners that "moderate Islamism seems to work very well."
James - I was sitting in the same row as you for some of the sessions in the Political Islam seminar, and agree that Altikriti has a ranting style that which comes over as rather intimidating - too many demos in Trafalgar Square, fewer academic conferences I would guess. But I think you don't accurately quote him. He said - as I remember it - that a minister had told him policy was being directed by the two "fanatical sufis" in Blear's dept. I took it that he was reporting his unnamed sources words. It was actually one of the moments when he seemed to calm his delivery a little.
Demos can defend itself, but Fieschi did point out to the audience that Bright had pulled out of the public panel she was chairing in protest over the threatened action against Harry's Place.