Blears in Gaza extremism warning

By Dominic Casciani BBC News

Protests: Tensions are running high, say Muslim groups

The UK government is failing to get its position over Gaza across to British Muslims, a cabinet minister has said.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears told the BBC the UK faced a "worrying time" amid fears that the war was radicalising some young people.

She said ministers needed to make sure that people "don't feel that there's hypocrisy and double standards".

Israel's response to Hamas rockets was "disproportionate" and there must be a ceasefire, ministers told the Commons.

In a debate on the conflict, Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell added that the government recognised Israel's right to self defence.

And he said Israel's action was an indictment of the "international community's failure over years and decades... to bring about a two-state solution".

Ms Blears told the Straight Talk programme the government understood Muslim anger over Gaza.

Senior Muslims have warned ministers that some young people could turn to extremism and violence, rather than conventional protest and pressure, because of the Gaza war.

They say ministers have not done enough to explain the UK's position and to help communities sideline jihadist recruiters. Top-level Whitehall meetings have been reviewing the government's preventing extremism strategy with officials concerned that hard-won gains could be rocked by the crisis.

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"I think we are at quite a difficult time and it's very worrying," Ms Blears minister told the BBC's Straight Talk programme.

She said tensions "inevitably have arisen, particularly with Muslim young people because they are idealistic".

She said: "They are angry