Beckett Calls on Moderate Muslims

Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, is to make a speech later today to call on moderate Muslims in this country to help against extremism. She is expected to tell Muslims to "stand up and be counted" and that "they, the Muslim communities, have a special ability to make a difference in the struggle against extremism."

When John Reid said the same thing to Muslim parents he was condemned by Muslim groups, expect the same again; complaints about being singled out and threats that terror will only stop if we appease them by changing foreign policy.

Another interesting twist is the take the BBC has on this speech. The BBC headline reads, "Terror threat growing - Beckett". While Ms Beckett does slip that into her speech in one line saying the threat "remains serious and is increasing", even the BBC article admits that it isn't the point of her speech. Nevertheless, that one line is the message the BBC want to spread.

UPDATE: The Islamic Human Rights Commission has released a press statement exactly fulfilling the prediction. They claim:

Margaret Beckett’s comments today, in once again urging British Muslims to speak out against terrorism, falsely suggest that hitherto Muslims have not been doing so. This repeated habit of focussing on the Muslim community is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to deflect attention away from the role played by Britain’s domestic and foreign policies in the rise of terrorism.

There are the two parts; first complaining about Muslims being singled out and then telling us that it is foreign policy that must change to prevent terrorism. Completely predictable reaction from the extremists.