At a meeting with MCB representatives on 20th May, Peter Hain, the Minister for Europe said that he "fully understood the unease" his recent remarks had caused amongst British Muslims and said that this had not been his intention. During a constructive meeting with delegates from the Muslim Council of Britain, in which he was queried about what he had actually meant, the Minister for Europe made clear that he very much "valued his links with the Muslim community" and that his remarks had been made in the context of rising tensions in the aftermath of September 11th and the rise of the far right in Europe.

Following the meeting, Iqbal Sacranie, the Secretary-General of the MCB said: "British Muslims have made rapid progress integrating into the wider society in one generation. We support this ongoing process. Where the progress in any faith community is slow - and this is not an issue confined to Muslims alone, we need to collectively address any concerns. At the same time, however, it is also important for the government to be seen to be responding to Muslim concerns about inclusiveness, especially when it comes to providing legal protection against religious discrimination and taking action regarding the barbaric killings of Palestinians in Palestine and Muslims in Gujarat, India."

The MCB delegation included Iqbal Sacranie, Ali Omar Ermes, Tanzeem Wasti, Shiban Akbar, Sibtain Panjwani and Inayat Bunglawala.