The Editor
The Times
2nd August 2005

Dear Sir,

Anthony Browne (The Times, 1st August 2005) makes the astounding claim that 70% of Muslim marriages are "inter-continental arranged marriages." Since such statistics are unavailable to either the government or the Muslim community, perhaps he should share with us from which cloud in cuckoo land he plucked this arbitrary statistic?

Browne also claims that the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) despises democracy. MAB, a national affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain, was one of many British Muslim organisations which led a prominent campaign encouraging British Muslims to actively participate in the last general election. Since voting in a Parliamentary election is a key characteristic of participatory democracy, Browne is writing creatively when describing the MAB as 'a threat to democracy.'

And it simply will not do to glibly compare 'Islamists' with Nazis. This type of incendiary rhetoric only adds to the prejudice which British Muslims have to face daily. Does Browne really believe that demonising Muslims - as opposed to addressing the root causes which terrorists exploit - is the best way to counter the threat facing all of us?

Yours faithfully,

Inayat Bunglawala,
Media Committee,
The Muslim Council of Britain

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