[continued from previous message] 
  
 would not have prevented the attacks which took at least 56 lives on 
 July 7 - and was warned that it will be hard for them to reach 
 radically disaffected young people in their midst. 
  
 The hour-long session was designed to send a high-profile message of 
 inclusivity, with Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy - representing 
 the two main opposition parties -in supportive attendance. 
  
 Mr Blair later told reporters: "The meeting revolved around a very 
 strong desire of people from right across the Muslim community in our 
 country to be united, not just in a condemnation of the terrible 
 terrorist attacks here in London but also to confront and deal head-on 
 with the extremism that is based on a perversion of the true faith of 
 Islam but nonetheless is real within parts of our community here in 
 this country." 
  
 As such the Muslim groups - representing mostly established figures in 
 their 40s and older - agreed to establish a task force which will 
 develop a network capable of penetrating what are often poor and 
 introverted communities. 
  
 "They will be people who are going to be supported by the rest of us 
 but from the community, able to talk to the Muslim community and 
 confront this evil ideology, take it on and defeat it by the force of 
 reason. I think that's the best thing we can do," Mr Blair explained. 
  
 Downing Street later confirmed suggestions that the task force would 
 be Muslim led, but government supported, though it said it is too 
 early to know if that will mean forms of financial support. 
  
 Also present were Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, and the home 
 secretary, Charles Clarke, who warned against the danger of confusing 
 the London bombing and the opposition to the Iraq war. But several 
 Muslim representatives said the invasion of Iraq as well as other 
 parts of UK foreign policy were a grievance for young Muslims. 
  
 When told this directly Mr Blair repeated his insistence since July 7 
 that the terrorists would have found some other excuse for the 
 bombing, even if Britain had not supported the US-led overthrow of 
 Saddam Hussein. 
  
 No 10 later repeated that 26 al-Qaida related attacks pre-date the 
 invasions of both Iraq and Afghanistan, endorsing Mr Blair's view that 
 the root cause of the problem is a perverted interpretation of Islam 
 which has gone unchallenged for too long. 
  
 Some of the peers and four Labour Muslim MPs present share that view 
 in varying degrees. So does the prime minister of Afghanistan, Hamid 
 Karzai, coincidentally in No 10 for talks, and with whom Mr Blair 
 appeared. 
  
 One MP present, Sadiq Khan, later warned against treating Muslims like 
 "one homogeneous blob" and of raising expectations too far as to what 
 could easily be achieved. 
  
 "You wouldn't expect a vicar to be able to reach a white boy on a 
 street corner, so it's dangerous to expect Muslim leaders can reach 
 their troubled youth," he said. 
  
 Twenty five Muslim community leaders were present. Among groups not 
 invited to the meeting was the Muslim Association of Britain, which 
 was active in organising opposition to the Iraq war, and the Islamic 
 Human Rights Commission (HRC) which has been critical of the police. 
  
 Massoud Shadjareh, of the Islamic HRC, said: "The overwhelming 
 majority of youth and others in the Muslim community are alienated not 
 just from British institutions, but from Muslim institutions as well. 
 Mr Blair met too narrow a group of Muslims. He invited those who he 
 knew would agree with him." 
  
 ~        Guardian Unlimited ) Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 
  
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