UK Muslim leaders condemn grooming in 'unprecedented' sermon

A sermon going out to congregations in around 500 UK mosques has warned that a "major challenge" will be created for the Muslim community in the wake of the sentencing of a paedophile ring made up of seven Asian men and the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

The campaign has been organised by Together Against Grooming (Tag), an organisation set up to tackle street grooming by gangs.

The move comes after five members of a paedophile ring found guilty of grooming vulnerable underage girls were given life sentences at the Old Bailey. Two other defendants were both jailed for seven years.

It says that recent publicity emerging from cases of sexual grooming involving mainly men of Pakistani/South Asian background in various locations around the UK, as well as the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in London, could have a negative impact on Muslims.

In a statement by Tag spokesman Ansar Ali, he said:

The delivery of the hard-hitting sermon is unusual because it is often seen as a taboo to discuss such topics insides mosques.

Using Islam to attack sexual abuse and return people involved in criminal behaviour to its practices and teachings can be a "way of correcting any distortions and corruption".

The sermon also asked congregations to heed a "call to action", so it they see anyone acting suspiciously or suspect sexual grooming is taking place they should report it to the authorities.

Alyas Karmani, an Imam at a number of Bradford mosques and director of a youth charity was responsible for writing the sermon.

After delivering the sermon at the Islam Bradford Mosque during Friday prayers, Mr Karmani said:

The policing minister Damian Green has said it was a "very important" move. Mr Green wrote on his website: “It reminds people that the vast majority, the overwhelming majority, of British Muslims, condemn child sexual abuse as strongly as any other group in modern Britain".

The Tag campaign has been backed by leading Muslim organisations such as Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), the Islamic Society of Britain (ISB) and independent mosques.