23 October 2006
Publication: The Jewish Chronicle

Dear Sir,

The Muslim Council of Britain is always honoured to receive coverage in the Jewish Chronicle. Last week's two-page 'special report' (JC, Oct 20th 2006) together with the front page story was especially notable.

Your report claimed that the MCB's pronouncements on Israel and our call for the Holocaust Memorial Day to be renamed to a more inclusive Genocide Memorial Day was 'evidence of a troubling radicalism'. In fact, both positions have a great deal of support among British Muslims and the MCB - as the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body - has a duty to faithfully reflect those views.

You quoted Jon Benjamin of the Board of Deputies of British Jews as saying that his organisation is happy to maintain contacts with other faith bodies, but on the issue of Israel, he is 'not prepared to compromise'.

Perhaps you ought to be less surprised then that Muslim organisations too seek to stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Inayat Bunglawala
Assistant Secretary General,
The Muslim Council of Britain

PO Box 57330,
London E15 1NT