“A bold attempt to shift the ‘Muslim debate’ away from media demonisation was made today. The London Mayor Ken Livingstone launched a new report aimed at dismantling barriers of discrimination faced by Muslims. Standing alongside Dr Muhammad Bari, leader of the Muslim Council of Britain, Livingstone attacked the ‘breathtaking verbiage’ being pumped out daily by the national press.

“The report made grim reading. Muslims suffer the worst education failure rates, huge barriers to employment, bad housing and chronic political under-representation. Livingstone said the real problem was not Muslims wanting to be separate, but instead unprecedented levels of discrimination preventing them from getting on in society.”

BLINK news report, 24 October 2006

See also Guardian, 24 October 2006 and  GLA press release, 24 October 2006