The Guardian
3rd March 2005

Dear Sir,

Today's leader ("Sense and Sensitivity", The Guardian, 03 March 2005) sought to defend the claim made by the Home Office Minister Hazel Blears that the terrorist threat "most comes" from people "falsely hiding behind Islam". However, Ms Blears is contradicted by official statistics supplied by her own department. According to the Home Office, of the 17 (out of over 700 arrested) individuals convicted for terrorist-related offences since 9/11, seven of these were cases related to terrorism in Northern Ireland, and the three Muslims convicted to date were in fact convicted for credit card fraud.

This is not to say that there is no threat from terrorists who may claim to be Muslims but to single out one particular community was unhelpful to say the least.

Yours faithfully,

Inayat Bunglawala
Secretary,
Media Committee
The Muslim Council of Britain