Warsi Attacks Govt Policy Towards Muslims

The former Conservative party chairman Baroness Warsi has accused the Government of viewing Britain's Muslim community with suspicion.

Baroness Warsi also criticised what she described as a policy of non-engagement with Britain's three million Muslims, leading to a lack of trust.

Writing in The Observer newspaper, the former Foreign Office minister revealed her thoughts about the controversial letter sent to mosques across England earlier this month.

The letter urged Muslim leaders to do more to stop people becoming radicalised in the wake of the Paris terror attacks .

She said Britain has seen almost six years of non-engagement with the Muslim community, both by the previous Labour Government and the coalition.

"The reaction to the Pickles letter underlines what I consistently argued for in government - that it was important for us to engage with a broad range of groups and individuals who purported to speak for the British Muslim community, while accepting that, inevitably, some didn't do it very well," said Lady Warsi.

She said the Muslim community is currently beset by a climate of concern, worry and fear.

"So it's no surprise there is a trust deficit, a questioning of motive to a letter sent with the best of intentions," she said.

"For too many, the hand of friendship felt like an admonitory finger that was once again pointing at Britain's Muslims."

Baroness Warsi quit her role in the Government last August over its response to the crisis in Gaza, which she said was "morally indefensible".