[Ramrod]

Inside the mind of a British muslim

Three days after unprecedented raids on suspected Islamic terrorists, Britain's Muslim community is polarised as never before †” between moderates who oppose violence and radicals who believe their culture is under threat and the only answer is to bomb the west. Why do they think like that?

The Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella organisation that seeks to represent Muslim organisations, has sent a letter to 1,000 mosques in Britain, urging Muslims to be vigilant and help in the fight against terror. For some Muslims itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s tantamount to asking them to spy on each other.

For the wider, more mainstream, community it has thrown up awkward questions about what it means to be British and Muslim. All the mainstream Muslim organisations have criticised government policy on international Islamic affairs but have broadly supported the anti-terror laws. But there is a growing whisper of discontent among mainstream Muslims about the Establishment and its actions.

Sayful Islam is under no illusions. †œThey have started a crusade against Muslims and that road, unfortunately, can only lead to violence.â₠¬Â In order to stop the small fringe element who think like Sayful gaining a foothold and allowing the jihad to enter Britain, the Government faces a real challenge: to make its priority not letters to mosques, but to understand people such as Sayful.

Scary stuff...