Concerned over the incidence of British Muslim men leaving the country to join the extremist group ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Britain Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Tuesday said the “best antidote” to the crisis was the British Muslim community themselves.
Mr. Clegg said the case of British men joining the ISIS was part of the “security issues” faced by his country and they needed “to work with the international community to inhibit the military ambitions of ISIS.”
He said his country was working to stop and discourage British citizens from leaving the country to join the radical Islamist forces. However, in the long run, the impetus lay with the Muslim community, he suggested.
“The Muslims within the UK are best placed and best learned to identify those who are susceptible to the extremist ideologies. We need to empower them (the Muslim community),” Mr. Clegg said.
He stated he was “shocked and revolted” by the “barbaric, brutal and medieval murder” of U.S. journalist James Foley. British authorities have identified a British rapper belonging to the Muslim community as the main suspect in the beheading.
Mr. Clegg, who was in Mumbai, was responding to questions put to him by students at St. Xavier’s College. Mr. Clegg set aside doubts that there existed an embargo on Indian students studying and working in the UK. There are “no numerical limits. You are welcome to study and work in England,” he said.
Brushing aside the fears of Indian students regarding the reported hate crimes committed against them in Britain, Mr. Clegg said the students should not be dismayed by the reports. Britain has clear norms and laws against such violence, he said.
Mr. Clegg described his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “useful” and “interesting”. He said they covered a range of topics including commerce, economics, investments, environment and education.” He said the two countries were working to celebrate and nourish the links between them. The British government has supported a new project under which 25,000 British students will travel to India over the next five years.
