International

Hain criticised for `anti-Muslim' remarks

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MAY 14. One of Britain's most progressive Ministers and an anti-racism campaigner, Peter Hain, has been accused of contributing to the prevailing Islamophobia for his remarks describing Muslim immigrants as "isolationists" and their customs as a hindrance to racial integration.

Though he denied that his widely publicised remarks, made in two national newspapers and on the BBC, were anti-Muslim they drew an angry denunciation from Muslim groups who said he must withdraw them. They feared that such a statement from someone like Mr. Hain, who was a co-founder of the Anti-Nazi League and fought apartheid, would be seized by the far right to claim legitimacy for its own racist views.

"It does not help to make Islam out to be an isolationist religion," Lord Ahmed, Britain's first Muslim peer said regretting Mr. Hain's choice of words. Dr. Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the "Muslim Parliament", called his remarks divisive. Their criticism was echoed by the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman, Simon Hughes, who said identifying Muslims as separatists was "simplistic and dangerous".."There are many (other) national, racial and faith communities where lack of good English and different religious traditions keep away from too much of British culture and participation," he said. In identical remarks in interviews to The Guardian, The Sunday Times and the BBC, Mr. Hain said Muslim immigrants were welcome but they "must be part of our culture".

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