29 January 2017
The Muslim Council of Britain condemns the Executive Order by US President Trump to initiate a ban on people from a select few Muslim majority countries. It calls on our British government to speak out much more forcefully and stand up for the British values it supposedly seeks from others. For all intents and purposes this is a Muslim ban designed not to confront terrorism but to placate the most hateful sections of American society. Those countries whose citizens were found to be involved in terrorism in the United States are not on Mr Trump’s list.
Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: “This ban on Muslims is not only an inconvenience, it is downright dangerous to our values of equality and non-discrimination. We are told that British values include the rule of law and ‘mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.’ And yet, our Prime Minister has found it hard to express these values when representing us on the world stage. At the same time, the ban will affect us here in Britain, as those with dual nationality such as Sir Mo Farah and Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi will also be affected by this ban. Our government should express in no uncertain terms how daft this policy is to its US counterparts, and press home how counter-productive it is in its professed fight to confront terrorism.
“In front of Mr Trump, the Prime Minister said that the point of the ‘Special Relationship’ was to have a frank dialogue. Well, this is one area where we need to be frank about where we stand. As an important ally of the United States, surely we have a duty to remind them of the values on which they were founded upon.”
[Ends]
Notes to Editors:
The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK’s largest Muslim umbrella body with over
500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques,
charities and schools.
For further information please contact:
The Muslim Council of Britain
PO Box 57330
London
E1 2WJ
Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079
media@mcb.org.uk
Follow MCB Interactive
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MuslimCouncil
Facebook: www.facebook.com/muslimcouncil.uk
Youtube: www.youtube.com/MuslimCouncil