Muslim women to advise Government on preventing violent extremism
22 11 2007
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears chaired the first meeting of a new Muslim Women’s advisory group yesterday. The group has been bought together to advise Government on the role that they can play in winning hearts and minds and tackling extremism.
The National Muslim Women’s Advisory Group (NMWAG) is led by 19 Muslim women representing a wide spectrum of communities, professions and traditions. They will discuss issues and concerns that are affecting Muslim women, for example access for women to mosques and their management committees and cultural barriers including honour crimes and forced marriages.
Hazel Blears believes that women have always had an invaluable role at the heart of their families, their communities and wider society; this is especially true for Muslim women. As mothers, daughters, sisters, wives they bind their families together. As local leaders, they make their communities stronger.
The Communities Secretary said,
“All too often the voices of Muslim women go unheard. Some don’t have the confidence or skills to speak up while others face practical barriers, such as balancing family life with other roles. Wider public debate often reverts to stereotypes and preconceptions and I believe we pay too much attention to Muslim women’s appearance - with perennial debate about headscarves and veils - and too little to what they say and do.”
“This must change. We have to get better at listening to Muslim women, valuing their contribution to this country’s economic, cultural and civic life, and opening the door for more to get involved.”
There are at least 800,000 Muslim women living in Britain today. Muslim women often have a unique moral authority at the heart of families to influence and challenge the false and perverted ideology spread by extremists and give our young people the skills and knowledge to turn their backs on hate.
The security and intelligence agencies have made clear that young men, predominately between the ages of 16-34, are most vulnerable to being drawn into violent extremism.
The Government wants to raise to a new level its work to support communities in isolating and defeating those who seek to divide. To achieve this it is vital that the silent majority have all the skills and support they need so they can have a bigger voice.
