Muslim community leaders

EXcellent piece by Kenan Malik on the way the government (and most of the media, I would add), relate to British muslims. Here's a quick quote on self-appointed community leaders:


The policy of subcontracting political responsibility allows politicians to wash their hands of the alienation of sections of the Muslim community. And it allows self-appointed community leaders with no democratic mandate to gain power both within Muslim communities and the wider society. But it does the rest of us - Muslim and non-Muslim - no favours. It is time that politicians dropped the pretence that there is a single Muslim community and started taking seriously the issue of political engagement with their constituents, whatever their religious faith.