London, Oct 24, IRNA ,Britain’s Liberal Democrats have condemned the right-wing Policy Exchange think-tank for privately circulating an offensive dossier against Muslims ahead of Europe’s largest multi-cultural gathering in London this weekend.
The UK’s third biggest political party challenged Policy Exchange, which has close links with the country’s opposition Conservatives, to retract attempts to link Muslim speakers at the Global Peace and Unity 2008 event on Sunday to extremism.
“Your attempt to raise a boycott of this event by privately briefing against it is bizarre and underhand behaviour for a think- tank supposedly interested in open public debate,” Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said in a letter to the think-tank.
“The information you are disseminating is extremely narrow in focus and as a result tars with the brush of extremism the tens of thousands of Muslims who will be in attendance,” Clegg said.
“The sad truth is you play into the hands of the men you seek to discredit, driving further the alienation of the majority of Muslims who see themselves mischaracterised everywhere they turn as would-be terrorists,” he said.
The Global Peace and Unity event is expected to attract more than 60,000 people.
It is the fourth time the annual family event has been held, aimed at promoting harmony and dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Clegg, who is one of the speakers at the event, said he was “appalled” to see Policy Exchange quote from the Society for American National Existence, an organisation which “seeks to make the practice of Islam illegal, punishable by 20 years in prison.” He said his concern was not limited to the secret dossier but the attempt by Policy Exchange to raise a boycott of the event by privately briefing against it.
“That a think-tank professing to promote ‘a free society based on strong communities [and] personal freedom’ would act to undermine tolerance across our society worries me greatly,” he said.
The think-tank has constantly been accused of carrying out “Muslim-baiting research” that is often regurgitated by the media.
Concern has also been expressed at Lord Mayor Boris Johnson appointing some of its members as advisors.