Published on the Asian Image WebsiteA Question Time Event looking at "Extremism, Islam and the Muslim Community" was attended by over two hundred people.
The heavily publicized event drew extra attention after Paul Rowen MP backed out of the debate stating he did not want to give the members of the group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, who were also invited, a platform to air their views.
Organizer Majed Iqbal, who runs the Rochdale based Blog on community affairs "Majeds Blog" chaired the event.
He said, "Many participants were angry with the actions of their local MP in his refusal to debate issues that matter to many British Muslims."
The audience aired views on the governments approach to tackling issues relating to the Muslim community.
Some female members of the audience highlighted incidents at other events oragnised by the government where they expressed concern on it's approach towards Muslim women issues.
One lady asked, "Just because we may disagree, does that make us extreme?"
Ali khan, from Hizb-ut-Tahrir took questions ranging from liberal values and Islamic values, Materialism, the concept of Britishness, engagement with wider society, Mosques and Imams and the views and ideas the Youth need to be active in airing in the current climate.
The event also aimed to highlight how ordinary members of the Muslim community at grassroots level were actively encouraging debate on issues such as extremism.
Many at the event felt they were being ignored by the government who it said was interested in only speaking to 'self-elected leaders' of the community.
Majed added, "Invited 'Community leaders' of the Muslim Community in Rochdale were absent from the debate despite repeated reminders by us.'
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