If one of the aims of the Downing Street meeting was to address disenchantment among Britain’s Muslim youth, then Tony Blair needs to apply a little more of his own fabled skills of enchantment. Because his magic is not yet touching those he most badly needs to reach.

One of the country’s biggest Muslim organisations, Minhaj-ul-Quran (MQI), had been talking to Downing Street about the meeting for a week. Right up until the last minute, leaders of MQI were being tantalised with the possibility of an invitation. They were shocked and angry when that invitation failed to materialise.

MQI, which means "The Way of the Koran", has been active in Britain for about 12 years. It was founded by its Pakistan-based leader Shaykh Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri 25 years ago. It now has branches in 80 countries, including the US and Canada.

Next week, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri is visiting the UK, as he does every year, and addressing a youth camp of hundreds of British Muslims in Worcestershire. The organisation is expanding fast. It has 5,000 members, mostly young people, five Islamic centres and a thriving youth league. It runs youth training camps in this country. It is moderate, but not marginal.

Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police visited the East London headquarters and addressed members during Friday prayers last week. It eschews extremism. In fact, MQI often helps young people who turn there in desperation after escaping indoctrination by the very extremists that the Government is going to have to deal with in some way if it is to counter effectively the terrorist threat.

Shahid Mursaleen, its media secretary, could not hide his disappointment when the invitation failed to materialise. "We were in touch with the organisers but at the last minute they did not invite us," he said.

"We were very disappointed because we represent the voice of over 5,000 people in the UK. I believe the true voice of Muslims in Britain was not represented at that meeting."

It was to MQI that Sir Ian Blair was speaking when he urged the Muslim community to end its "denial" about extremists in its midst and to engage actively in the fight against terrorism.

But the Government also needs to emerge from its own form of denial if it is to work out an effective strategy of engaging with extremists.

Engaging with the IRA was key to the Government’s success in bringing about our present uneasy end to that terrorist violence. Sticking to tried and trusted favourites from the Muslim establishment, while excluding young, expanding Muslim organisations, even where their only extreme reputation is for moderation, will not help combat the threat we all face.

For disaffected young men from ethnic minority backgrounds, a feeling of yet more exclusion will not do us any favours when it comes to their resisting the inclusive temptations of the radicals, and the opportunities offered by those extremists for terrorist revenge.

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