Annex
Visit to Birmingham, Amana Centre, 11 January
2010
Participants
| Dr Phyllis Starkey MP |
Clive Betts MP |
| John Pugh MP | Alison Seabeck MP
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The Committee was hosted by Mahommed Saif, Media & Communication
Director of The Muath Trust, at the Amana Centre in Camp Hill.
Yusuf Desai, Deputy Director of Forward Thinking, arranged for
the Committee to meet a range of local front-line Prevent
workers, academics and religious leaders in the Birmingham Muslim
community.
The Committee started their day with a round-table
discussion of the Government's current analysis of the risk factors
for radicalisation and whether Prevent was currently focused
on the most important of these. The discussion was wide-ranging
and touched on factors including the impact of an individual's
life experience; issues of identity and alienation; the role of
grievances relating to foreign policy and socio-economic factors;
and theological factors. Taking part in this discussion were
- Oliver McTernan, Co Founder
& Director of Forward Thinking
- Yusuf Desai, Deputy Director,Forward Thinking
- Yusuf Tai, Regional Director, Forward Thinking
- Dr. Nafeez Ahmed, Executive Director of the Institute
for Policy Research & Development UK
- Jahan Mahmood, Community Historian and Director
of community affairs at Decorum Institute
- Tahir Alam, Director of Al-Hijrah Training Academy
and School Governance Consultant Trainer for Birmingham City Council
- Tassadaq Hussain, Public Relations Officer, Green
Lane Mosque & Community Centre
- Sabeel Saddique, Birmingham Street Gang leadership.
- Abdullah Saif, Young Muslim Advisory Group (CLG).
- Aisha Iqbal Young Muslim Advisory Group (CLG).
- Robina Iqbal, Vice-Chair Muslims Women's Network,
Sparkbrook Community Association
Following this discussion, Jahan Mahmood provided
a presentation on how to address radicalisation and the relevance
of this agenda to Muslim youth. During his presentation, Mr Mahmood
highlighted the impact of the internet in the radicalisation process
on young people.
The Committee then paid a visit to Saheli Women's
Centre in Balsall Heath where Saheli's CEO, Naseem Akhtar, spoke
to the Committee about the importance of leisure and community
activities in helping women - and particularly local Asian women
- gain new skills and build greater confidence, allowing them
to play a stronger role in both their families and within the
communities in which they live.
Finally, the Committee met Mahommed Shafique &
Mazhar Ali, Directors of community sport organisation Local Leagues.
Local Leagues provides sport and recreational activities for children
and families from deprived communities across Birmingham. Mr Shafique
and Mr Ali stressed the importance of cross-cultural sporting
activities for young people in helping to build strong and cohesive
communities where people from different backgrounds are able to
work together. The Committee also heard how such activities help
excluded and isolated members of the community get more involved
in mainstream society.
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