British Muslims urge Blair to change foreign policy

A total of 38 British Muslim groups and politicians put their names to a full-page advertisement in a number of national newspapers, calling for a change in London's stance to world affairs, particularly in the Middle East.

"It is our view that current British government policy risks putting civilians at increased risk both in the UK and abroad," the open letter said.

"To combat terror, the government has focused extensively on domestic legislation. While some of this will have an impact, the government must not ignore the role of its foreign policy.

"The debacle of Iraq and now the failure to do more to secure an immediate end to the attacks on civilians in the Middle East not only increases the risk to ordinary people in that region, it is also ammunition to extremists who threaten us all."

Signatories to the letter include the main Muslim Council of Britain umbrella group, four Muslim members of parliament's lower House of Commons plus three of the four Muslim members of the upper House of Lords.

The complaint about British foreign policy fanning the flames of fanaticism is not a new one: the Muslim community here has long been critical of British policy on Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Muslim leaders identified it as one of the key causes of radicalism and alienation of young British Muslims in a report commissioned after last year's suicide bomb attacks on London's public transport network.

Blair himself has repeatedly defended the country's role in Iraq and Afghanistan and his stance on the conflict in Lebanon; but he has rejected the idea that foreign policy is responsible for fostering radicalism.

The letter continues: "We urge the prime minister to redouble his efforts to tackle terror and extremism and change our foreign policy to show the world that we value the lives of civilians wherever they live and whatever their religion.

"Such a move would make us all safer."