Islamic Foundation Sir, Your recent series of articles on “Life in Muslim Britain” (T2, July 26-29) was a piece of constructive journalism by Burhan Wazir which took us to places many of us have never been to, and I thank you for it.

However, I was dismayed by your reports suggesting that two Islamic colleges may have links to terrorists (July 29; see also letters, July 31).

The Islamic Foundation (founded 1973) and the Markfield Institute of Higher Education (founded 2000) are prestigious and pioneering British Muslim academic institutions. Their main objective is to promote a two-way understanding between Islam and the West and, even more importantly, to help British Muslims better understand, integrate with and serve their country. Like all such institutions, we function under British laws and are monitored by the Charity Commissioners and the University of Loughborough that validates our degrees. Everything has been and remains open and above board.

The trustees of the Islamic Foundation are public men of distinction. The teaching staff are academics par excellence. They are entitled to hold their own personal opinions or to associate with a political party. We neither monitor nor censor the views of Dr Azzam Tamimi, one of our lecturers, or the chairman, Professor Khurshid Ahmad, who is also a member of the Pakistan Senate, as long as they are expressed within the bounds of law and decency. As far as I know the Charity Commission is not investigating us.

Your reports have done harm to the sound and noble objectives that we are trying to promote.

Yours faithfully,
M. M. AHSAN,
Director-General,
The Islamic Foundation,
Markfield Conference Centre,
Ratby Lane,
Markfield, Leicestershire LE67 9SY.
manazir@islamic-foundation.org.uk
August 2.

Explore Letters

• Feedback