The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned against becoming "too hysterical" over claims of Islamic radicalization in Britain as he spoke of his concerns about developing a "culture of fear" towards Muslims.
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“Clearly there is an issue with people going to Syria and coming back highly radicalized. There is a problem with radicalization. But the proportion of Muslims who are radicalized is extraordinarily small,” the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said in an interview on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1.
“I am just edgy about developing a national culture of fear because I don't think that gets us anywhere.”
The appearance of two British men, one as young as 17, on a recruitment video for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), who are attempting to establish an Islamic state in Iraq and Syria, has spread concerns in UK.
In the video, the men call for more Britons to come to Iraq and Syria to take up arms with ISIS.
The video revived worries expressed earlier by Prime Minister David Cameron who said that foreign fighters in ISIL posed “the biggest threat” to UK national security.
"The number of foreign fighters in that area, the number of foreign fighters including those from the UK who could try to return to the UK is a real threat to our country," he said.
Rejecting the message in the video, more than 100 imams from across major theological backgrounds and cultural groups issued an open letter last month, urging British Muslims not to travel to the war-torn regions.
The letter called on communities ''to continue the generous and tireless effort to support all of those affected by the crisis in Syria and unfolding events in Iraq'', but to do so ''from the UK in a safe and responsible way''.
The letter, however, did not cut increasing reports warning from the so-called radicalization of the Muslim community.
"I think we are in danger of slipping into a very fearful culture in which we see everyone against us and us against everyone and we are constantly trying to defend ourselves. This country is much bigger than that, much better than that," Welby said.
“We have been becoming too hysterical about this subject for some considerable period. It is a worry because we have huge differences with Islam – as Christians. But that is absolutely no reason for hostility. Quite the reverse."
Britain is home to a Muslim community of nearly 2.7 million.
In 2011, think tank Demo found that Muslims in the United Kingdom are more patriotic than the rest of population.
Responding to the statement “I am proud to be a British citizen”, 83% of Muslims said they are proud of being British. /SR
