Gaza conflict could spark violent Islamic backlash in Britain

London, Jan 9 (ANI): Muslim advisers have warned British PM Gordon Brown that the Gaza conflict could spark a violent Islamic backlash in Britain.

According to a report in The Sun, the alert came hours after dozens of police officials battled to separate hundreds of demonstrators outside the Israeli Embassy in London.

One cop was hurt and nine men were arrested in Wednesday night's clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli factions in Kensington.

"For the last 11 days, we have policed a number of demonstrations in central London by those who wanted to express their views about the ongoing conflict. We are now preparing for further protests," said Commander Bob Broadhurst, responsible for public order policing by the Met.

"I am mindful of the deeply passionate response that this conflict causes in people," he added.

In lieu of the demonstrations that are going on in England since the Gaza conflict started, 14 British Muslim advisers warned Gordon Brown that anger in their UK communities had reached "acute levels of intensity".

They said that Israel's attacks on Gaza had "revived extremist groups and empowered their message of violence".

In a letter to the PM, they called for pressure to be put on the US to change its approach to the crisis.

Maajid Nawaz, of counter-extremism think-tank the Quilliam Foundation, said moderate groups needed to be able to explain the Government's stance to British Muslims.

This would help them counter the view put by hate-mongers that it was not doing enough or did not care about Palestinian deaths.

Meanwhile, Jewish communities in Britain have reported a significant rise in anti-Semitic attacks since Israel launched its offensive on December 27.

These include two serious assaults on Jews, an arson attack on a synagogue in Brondesbury Park, North West London, and death threats to rabbis in Manchester. (ANI)