John Denham An ideological battle has broken out in Whitehall over the advice given to ministers on Islamic radicalism. A series of recent changes of personnel and promotions at key departments has led to concerns that the government is moving away from a policy of dialogue with moderates towards a policy of engagement with more radical groups. The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirmed that Azhar Ali, one of Hazel Blears’s advisers and an influential voice for dialogue with moderate “Sufi” Muslims, was leaving the department at the end of November. The department has advertised for two new advisers. A second DCLG adviser, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, has close links to the Muslim Council of Britain and is hotly tipped to be re-appointed. Speaking out: Lord Sacks The Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, has called for an “intellectually open, humble and tolerant religiosity” as a bulwark against fundamentalism. In a keynote lecture to the religious think-tank Theos in London last week, he said: “Religion is going to grow in strength in the 21st century and a very great deal will depend on what kind of religion it is. “At the moment, the fastest growing religions in the world are those who take an adversarial stance towards society, religions that challenge liberal democratic freedoms, and that is bad news.” Worse, was that various global conflicts which were political had become “religionised”, he said. “I believe we have no choice but to articulate an intellectually open and humble and tolerant religiosity, as the only strong enough defence for some of the religiosity that is coming our way with the force of a hurricane,” he said. But if the fundamentalists won the challenge he said: “I wouldn’t hang around too long.”Whitehall in turmoil over Muslim advisers
Chief Rabbi attacks fundamentalism
By Martin Bright, November 12, 2009
By Simon Rocker, November 12, 2009
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