Tue 23 May 2006 Rushdie novel 'had more impact than terrorism on UK Muslims' DAVID BARRETT
THE publication of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses has had a more lasting impact on British Muslims than the rise of al-Qaeda, the 11 September, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the London bombings, according to a new guide to Islam in the UK. The publication, from the British Council and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, says the 1989 novel led to the Muslim Council of Britain being established and therefore has had a huge influence on the Muslim population. Another significant event was the election of the Labour government in 1997, which saw the first Muslim MP. The guide, written by the freelance author Ehsan Masood, says: "Of these three, it is the aftermath of The Satanic Verses that has so far had the most lasting impact." Asked about his conclusions, Mr Masood said: "The phrase to focus on is 'lasting impact'. Al-Qaeda, terrorism and the London bombings are still fairly recent. In the fullness of time, they will probably have the most long-lasting impact. But 16 years have passed since The Satanic Verses, and we're still seeing the impact now." The book, designed for journalists and diplomats, gives an overview of politics, education, women, charity, the media and culture among the UK's Islamic population. It says that, since the 11 September attacks, there has been "some pressure on relations" between the leaders of Muslim community groups and the government. It adds: "There is also frustration at the government's reluctance to hold a public inquiry into the London bombs of 7 July, 2005." It describes efforts to reduce extremism in Muslim communities, and gives a definition and brief history of Islamophobia. The journalist Roger Hardy, an expert on the Middle East, said the 70-page book, priced £5, would help reduce ignorance of Islam among non-Muslims. The British Council said the first print run of 10,000 copies had nearly sold out. Related topics Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758 Immigration and refugees http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=16 This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=762782006 Last updated: 23-May-06 01:34 BST http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=762782006 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Everything you need is one click away. Make Yahoo! your home page now. http://us.click.yahoo.com/AHchtC/4FxNAA/yQLSAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
