Mothers and aunts will be asked to help fight extremism in Muslim communities, Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears has revealed. Ministers are to draw up new plans to bring “ordinary people” on board, particularly women. It follows admissions that the Government has placed too much emphasis on the role of people identified as “community leaders” in the past. The new policy was welcomed by Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood – as he warned that traditional approaches to preventing extremism were flawed. Mahmood reportedly said: “We have relied on organisations which have failed the community, and on community leaders who had definitely failed the community.” Blears said the new policy was modelled on a campaign to reduce drug use in ethnic minority communities, with recruited dinner ladies to spread the message. Peer Lord Patel of Bradford, who drew up the anti-drugs campaign, is leading a Government review into preventing extremism.http://www.themuslimweekly.com/newsdetails/fullstoryview.aspx?NewsID=4C379A4BC85C7BE8FB483DF4&MENUID=HOMENEWS&DESCRIPTION=UK%20News
