In the furore over the 42 day debate, an interesting sub-plot involving Lord Ahmed and Khurshid Ahmed, chair of the British Muslim Forum, has gone virtually unnoticed.
Khurshid Ahmed has previously voiced his support for the government's 42 day without detention bill. However, speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Ahmed accused the BMF chair of saying quite the opposite in an Urdu language interview he gave to the Daily Jang.
Lord Ahmed said:
"I am aware of only one so-called Muslim leader who supports the Government on this issue. I was shocked to learn that the same individual who supported the Government in the Sun, the Daily Telegraph, and the English section of the Daily Jang, in the Urdu side of the Daily Jang stated:
'Even seven days without charge is unacceptable to the British Muslim Forum.'
"How can the Government be proud to be in bed with such an individual? I suppose that when you are desperate, want to sound tough and are doing it at the expense of that community, you need someone who epitomises Judas."
Lord Ahmed then went on to draw attention to a substantial grant given to the British Muslim Forum by the government:
"I understand that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has granted a substantial amount of money to a project called "I am the West", which has been described as a deradicalisation programme, headed by the chairman of the British Muslim Forum.
"I should be obliged if my noble friend could confirm whether the £4.6 million granted for this project was given to an organisation headed by this man and on what basis this fund was allocated to this organisation. Would he be kind enough to tell the House whether the CBE granted to this man was a gesture of thanks for his unconditional support for these proposals?"
Khurshid Ahmed and the British Muslim Forum were isolated amongst Muslim groups in their support for 42 days detention.
