Luton, UK — For Muslims in the British town of Luton, the actions of anti-Muslims and racists attacking their community are as hurtful as those of a small number of extremists giving the Muslim community a bad name.
"Luton's Muslims are proud to live in a mixed, multicultural society,” Nadeem Chaudhary, a 38-year-old businessman, told The Independent on Wednesday, June 3.
“They've had enough of the extremists.”
Luton made headlines last week after the local Muslim community staged a demonstration against young extremists linked to Al-Muhajiroun group.
Around 200 Muslims marched towards a park on the outskirts of the town, where the group regularly preach from a stall and declared them a persona non grata in their town.
The young extremists, who made headlines weeks ago after staging parades against British soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, finally backed down.
“Islam teaches people to strongly believe in social cohesion and strictly prohibits shedding any innocent blood,” said Farasat Latif, secretary of the Islamic Centre in Luton.
Bearded Latif, who follows the conservative Salafi school of thought, accused the extremist group of tarnishing the image of Islam and Muslims.
“That's why we took action."
The small town has a sizable Muslim community of some 28,000 out of a total population of 140,000.
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of more than 2 million.
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Luton Muslims lament that their efforts to drive extremism out of their town did not receive any backing from the authorities.
"We've been trying for a long time to persuade the police to move the Al Muhajiroun boys," Chaudhary says.
“But either there doesn't seem to be much they can do or they simply don't want to do anything."
As if the government’s neglect was not enough, the largely peaceful community is falling prey to anti-Muslim extremists and racist groups rampant in the town.
A group calling itself the United People of Luton staged a number of demonstrations against the "scum" that ruined the town.
The Islamic Center, which has preached coexistence in the diverse town for years, was firebombed by right-wing extremists.
Latif, the mosque secretary, hopes their decision to take on the extremists within their own community will prompt Luton's whites to do the same.
"I believe people on all sides are sick of the extremists," he said.
"I now hope the white working class will weed out the fascists and hate mongers just like we now have. Otherwise things will only get worse."