Report blames UK government for Muslim resentment

LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) The actions of Prime Minister Tony Blair's government are responsible for breeding resentment among British Muslims, causing some to sympathise with violent extremists, a report by a leading thinktank said today.

The government's failure to address ''reasonable grievances'' over issues such as the Iraq war was driving a wedge between Muslims and the rest of society rather than isolating the few extremists, the report by left-leaning group Demos said.

The question of Muslim integration was rammed home last year when four British Islamists carried out suicide bombings on London's transport network killing 52 commuters.

Demos said government efforts at engagement with Muslims since the attacks had been inadequate and its report criticised the government's reluctance to discuss the impact of foreign policy, a concern regularly raised by both moderate and radical Muslim voices.

Britain, Washington's closest ally in the Iraq war, has thousands of troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

''The government's attempts to engage Muslims in the policy-making process have been criticised as being rushed, conducted on the government's terms, failing to break away from the usual suspects, and with little follow through.

''The government needs to respond to the grievances of the Muslim community -- either to accept them or to refute them,'' the report said.

Blair and his ministers have stated repeatedly since the London bombings that they needed the support of Britain's 1.8 million Muslims in order to defeat violent extremists.

They have also argued there needed to be a re-think on the policy of multiculturalism, where different communities live side by side, which commentators say has led to the segregation of ethnic minorities.

DATED But the government strategy has been described as Islamophobic by some Islamic groups, most notably after a row blew up recently over Muslim women's use of the full veil, which Blair described as a ''mark of separation''.

''In the meeting rooms of Whitehall, ministers were assuring Muslim leaders of the need for partnership,'' the report said.

''But in press briefings they were talking of the need for Muslims to ''get serious'' about terrorism, spy on their children, and put up with inconveniences in the greater good of national security.'' Home Secretary John Reid told Sky News today the report was dated and the level of engagement was much higher than when its research was carried out, adding foreign policy could not be blamed for the growth of international terrorism.

But he said: ''Because we say it isn't a primary or significant cause of the growth of international terrorism ...that is not to say that it isn't one of the motivating factors for young Muslims in this country.

''We recognise that. We recognise we need to engage with young Muslims over this. Anybody who has got a degree of poverty, lack of opportunity or anybody who has been made a victim of terrorism has some cause for grievance.'' REUTERS PB BST0029