MEP and Councillors hail Muslim conference
Two of Yorkshire's leading Muslims joined fellow community leaders from across Britain in Brussels to discuss how to prevent radicalisation and promote integration in their communities.
Calderdale Councillors Mohammed Najib and Arshad Mahmood were part of a group of 30 Muslims who spent a day sharing their experiences and informing Labour MEPs how legislation can work better in the EU and UK to encourage integration and combat extremism.
Yorkshire and Humber MEP Richard Corbett, whose constituency includes Beeston, the area of Leeds where three of the London bombers came from, stressed the importance of the event.
He said: "Since the London bombings there has been a lot of debate about Muslim integration across the UK. This event gave community representatives, such as Najib and Mahmood, the opportunity to help forge a strategy to encourage closer relations between all communities across this country and the whole of Europe.
"Unfortunately our news headlines are often dominated by extremists but this event was designed to hear the opinions of moderate Muslims whose knowledge and understanding of their local communities is extremely valuable."
Councillor Najib, who was the first Muslim to be elected to Calderdale Council, declared the event a success.
He said: "The conference provided an excellent opportunity for Muslims to discuss how to encourage co-operation and partnership between all communities, races and religions."
"It is of the uppermost importance that we work towards building communities with a greater level of understanding and tolerance of each other's beliefs and ways of life."
The conference was a significant part of Labour MEPs' campaign "Defending Democracy, Protecting Civil Liberties", which was launched by then Home Secretary Charles Clarke in February.
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