Sarah speaking about the visit of the Grand Mufti to the European Parliament (Barking and Dagenham Borough Liberal Democrats)

Barking and Dagenham Borough Liberal Democrats <barkinganddagenham@libdems4london.org.uk>

Sarah speaking about the visit of the Grand Mufti to the European Parliament

January 14, 2008 12:30 PM
By Sarah Ludford MEP in European Parliament
Originally published by Sarah Ludford MEP

Mr President, I would just like to add to the point made by Ms in 't Veld. As I said in an email addressed to you and copied to other Members this morning, another regrettable fact is that it seems that you have made the Grand Mufti comparable to the Pope and the UK Chief Rabbi as a European representative of his particular religion. I think that sends a very bad signal to Muslims who are European.

The visit tomorrow demands every courtesy - although one would like an exchange of views about human rights abuses in Syria. I hope, however, that in your future list of invitees this year you will make sure that a European representative of Islam is invited and not somebody from outside the EU who might be taken to represent Muslims in Europe - which he does not.