Islam wrongfully being made synonymous with terrorism

The delegation comprising young Muslim British lawyer, businessman, student and community activist, exchanged views with journalists at a city hotel. The British High Commission organised the press conference.

The objective of their five-day goodwill visit is to share their experiences about the position of Muslims in modern Britain with Bangladeshis.

They said some misguided Muslims tarnished the image of liberal and peace-loving British Muslims through serial bomb blasts in London on July 7, 2005. "Now we have come to you in a bid to revive our image," they added.

They also appreciated Bangladesh's successful fight against militancy.

Sahana Khan, a community activist, said the Muslims in Britain do not face any kind of obstacles to protecting their rights concerning cultural and religious values.

Lutfar Ali, a prominent Muslim figure in British business community, said that Bangladeshis in Britain are not represented in British civil service and politics as they should have been.

Referring to a recent survey, he said that with the same qualification and potentiality, a British Muslim is three times less likely to be employed in Britain than an Indian Hindu.

He portrayed a disappointing scenario of Muslims working in Britain, mentioning that one in every six Muslims drives taxi for a living. He also said about 25 per cent of Muslims work in restaurants.

Earlier, the delegation members along with British High Commi-ssioner Anwar Choudhury met State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon at his office.