Sir, As a Muslim who grew up in Pakistan in the 1980s, I witnessed the tragic transformation of a moderate and tolerant Pakistani society into an bigoted and fundamentalist one, as a result of the thousands of seminaries that were set up and run by hardliners belonging to the Islamic Deobandi school of thought (report, Sept 7). These were funded by Saudi Arabian money and this was done in order to prepare recruits for the Afghan resistance and to gain national support for the military’s role in the Afghan war against the Soviet Union.

The same ideology that teaches hatred and condones violence against non-Muslims, and advises actively against any form of integration with the wider society, has become embedded into British Muslim communities as a result of the free passage offered by previous governments to radical imams and preachers from overseas, especially those from Pakistan, who trained and prepared British clergy to continue their nefarious objectives.

The recent guidance published by the Muslim Council of Britain for the state schools is a fine example of their policies towards self-segregation and imposition of a harsh doctrine within Muslim families, which can only lead to a polarised and disenfranchised society, fostering discontent and thereby fulfilling the agenda of Saudi and Pakistani religious right.

It is time for a cross-party consensus on tackling this issue by taking heed of the same outlets, which have previously been used by Muslim fanatics to spread hatred against our freedom and liberal way of life.

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Only by bringing all Islamic seminaries and informal educational outlets under the strict supervision of Ofsted, will we be able to ensure that alongside authentic Islamic education, the notion of citizenship and tolerance in a multifaith environment is provided for future Muslim generations. Influencing young British Muslims is the key, before they mature into religious extremists and possibly terrorists.

DR SHAAZ MAHBOOB, Hillingdon, Middx

Sir, Apart from having no interest in being part of a tolerant democracy, the Deobandis preach contempt for, and often violence against, “the infidels”. They control roughly half the British mosques and Islamic seminaries, and they present a dangerous and polluting presence. Hand-wringing and calling upon their co-religionists to oppose the Deobandis is not an adequate response.

The Government should close down all the Deobandi establishments and confiscate their assets. It should also take a hard, close look at some of the other Islamic sects active here that are not far behind the Deobandis in their abuse of British generosity and their loathing of all that Britain stands for.

DR PATRICK VIDAUD DE PLAUD, London W10

Sir, You accuse (editorial, Sept 7) the Deobandi sect of Islam of spreading jihadism and hatred in Britain, but fail to distinguish between the Indian and Pakistani versions of Deobandism.

The Deobandi sect was born in India in 1866. It was an antiimperialist movement. It supported the Indian independence led by Gandhi and opposed the creation of separate Muslim homeland of Pakistan. After independence it embraced India’s secular constitution and religious diversity.

The evolution of the Pakistani brand of Deobandism, however, is a different story. It was set up after 1947. Initially, it adopted the same educational syllabus and ethos, but later on it strayed from its original path, and is now largely responsible for turning Pakistan into an epicentre of Muslim terrorism.

SIMREN KAUR, Jallandhar, Punjab

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