Condemnation of grooming gangs from Pakistani community is welcome - Yorkshire Post Letters

Many thanks to Qari Asim (January 25) for his unequivocal condemnation of child sexual exploitation in many towns and cities. It is good to know that, “in several sessions in mosques, young men of Pakistani heritage have expressed their horror, disgust and revulsion about the scale of abuse and torture that the victims have been subjected to by the perpetrators”.

It is regrettable that these feelings were not more widely known. If these feelings had been known to those in authority, maybe they would not have deceived themselves into thinking that they were protecting community relations and not taking action against the perpetrators. All too often it is the wrong voices that get heard.

Qari Asim exaggerates the role of so-called "far right groups" (actually opportunist agitators) in "fuelling anti-muslim sentiments".

Islam, like any other belief system, is judged by two different standards.

Followers value it for its teachings, the examples of its heroes, its hopes for their future, its guidance for living their lives and the support and society of fellow believers.

Outsiders, however, judge it by the words and actions of those perceived to be its adherents.

I said, very carefully, “those perceived to be its adherents”. Qari Asim points out that evidence suggests that the street groomers "were not even remotely religious". Nevertheless, many people in authority chose not to prosecute them because of their concern that this would exacerbate racial and religious tensions.

Their failure to address this scandal fuelled the very tensions that they sought to avoid.

Further concern is caused by reports of ill-treatment of religious minorities in muslim majority countries.