Manchester Muslim community chief slams Pakistani elders for 'burying their heads in the sand' following Rochdale sex ring convictions

By Dean Wilkins

Pakistani community elders are being blamed for burying their heads in the sand regarding street-grooming by a Manchester Muslim community chief.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said the issue of race should not prevent police from bringing people to justice who think white girls are ‘worthless’.

Today nine men from Rochdale and Oldham were convicted as part of Greater Manchester Police’s biggest investigation into child exploitation after many far-right groups have protested in Greater Manchester.

Mr Shafiq said: "There is a significant problem for the British Pakistani community, there is an over-representation amongst recent convictions in the crime of on-street grooming, there should be no silence in addressing the issue of race as this is central to the actions of these criminals.

"They think that white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused without a second thought; it is this sort of behaviour that is bringing shame on our community.

"I urge the police and the councils not to be frightened to address this issue, there is a strong lesson that you cannot ignore race or be over sensitive."

He added: "I have been overwhelmed by the support the Ramadhan Foundation has been given by young people for our campaign on child grooming but concerned that community elders are once again burying their heads in the sand, this concerns us all and we must speak out.

"The community elders need to learn from the reaction of young people and reject any attempt to silence the reaction from our community.”

Mr Shafiq said that local authorities and schools should learn from Rochdale, where over 9,000 teenagers have attended a workshop on child grooming.

"The Ramadhan Foundation is ready to stand with anyone who wishes to protect these young teenagers," he said.

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"Finally the far right and fascist movements are not welcome to Rochdale, we reject their division and hatred and it has no place in a tolerant and diverse society.

"We will learn lessons from this case but not allow outsiders to divide us," Mr Shafiq added.

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"Manchester Muslim community

"Manchester Muslim community chief"?

This is a young man who enjoys seeing his picture on tv and in papers. The Ramadhan Foundation is a one-man group.

Whilst I agree with some of what he says, I think you have hugely exaggerated his importance. He was unheard of before this incident. He once ran for council elections but was defeated, and he was dismissed from the Rochdale Liberal Democrat party for childish behaviour.

We should consider his views as the views of an ordinary guy in Rochdale. The fact that he particularly enjoys the publicity reduces his credibility.

"The Ramadhan Foundation is

"The Ramadhan Foundation is ready to stand with anyone who wishes to protect these young teenagers," he said.

then come with us on an EDL march as we have been highlighting these issues.

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I don't know enough about the

I don't know enough about the Foundation or Mohammed Shaifq; but what I do know is that the muslim communities are under a lot of pressure world wide and right wing activists/fascists put them under that pressure; therefore there may well be a tendency to try to keep under the radar. The Elders in a muslim community DO have a lot to say and will be obeyed within their own communities. These nine may well be from a muslim community, however, there are plenty of male and female christians committing exactly the same crimes.

These nine are exactly that: 'Criminals of the worst kind.' I think it's wrong to single out any nationality with reference to this kind of crime because this type of crime has no boundary lines. Sexual deviancy is exactly what it is and the government of this country should be protecting our children. They don't. Economic depression - first people hit are the vulnerable...and that's our children and our elderly.

Because the Bible does not

Because the Bible does not teach the Mafia to kill and abuse but all that endorsed by Mohammed his Quran and Ahadeith,, these heartless people they are only following their prophet's teachings.

When Italians in the mafia

When Italians in the mafia commit crimes, no-one demands that the 'elders' in the Catholic Church need to do something about it. When a gang of black youths get caught running a drugs ring no-one demands that the 'elders' in black communities do something about it. So why is that when a group of criminals from the South Asian communities are involved in organised criminal activity that there's a demand that 'elders' do something about it?

Does anyone seriously believe these drug-dealing, booze-peddling perverts were regulars down their local Mosque? Of course they weren't. They obviously have no moral compass. So how exactly is it the fault of the South Asian community as a whole for not doing enough?

This rent-a-quote Mohammed Shafiq guy is after attention and money, and he is rightly reviled by his own community. He claims to run something called the 'Ramadan Foundation' which is basically him and his brother with a website and absolutely no influence in the Muslim community. He knows if he says stupid things like 'the elders don't do enough' - essentially pushing blame on to his own community for a crime committed by a small group of organised criminals - then he can get some media attention. I'm sure he will be angling for a large chunk of money from the government for his two-man 'Foundation". Self-serving greedy Uncle Tom. Deserves the abuse he regularly gets from his own people.

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