He’ll talk the talk like few others but then turn around and do this:
A Muslim scholar accused by critics of sympathising with violence has been appointed to a government taskforce attempting to root out Islamic extremism in Britain, the Guardian has learned.
Professor Tariq Ramadan has been banned from entering the United States and France because of his alleged views supporting violence, allegations he strongly denies.
He faced a campaign of vilification from rightwing British newspapers, and last night some saw his inclusion on the group as evidence of the government’s willingness to stand up to the tabloids.
The taskforce, known as the working group on tackling extremism, is part of the government’s response to the July attacks on London, which was announced by Tony Blair.