Following on from the Sunday Times attack on Osama Saeed, we have yet another attempt to misrepresent a leading figure in the Muslim community as claiming that Muslims in the UK today are in the same position as Jews in Nazi Germany. This time it’s Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, who is accused by the Torygraph of comparing government ministers to Nazis.

Sunday Telegraph, 18 December 2006

In fact, on the basis of the Torygraph’s own report, Dr Bari did nothing of the sort. In almost identical terms to those used by Osama Saeed, he warned of the possible consequences of a systematic campaign of vilification amed at a minority community, asking: “What is the degree of xenophobia that tipped Germany in the 1930s towards a murderous ethnic and cultural racism?”

Predictably, Jon Benjamin of the Board of Deputies backs the Torygraph’s attack on Dr Bari. He is quoted as saying: “To try to recast modern Britain as equivalent to Nazi Germany is equally offensive and disingenuous, but also dangerous in that it will fuel alienation and anger, particularly at a time when conciliation is vital.”

Yes, well Benjamin would know all about building good relations between communities wouldn’t he? This is the man who was reported as describing the Mayor of London as “a lackey of the Muslim agenda in this country“.

See also Western Resistance, 17 December 2006