Over a 1,000 youngsters are expected to attend the UK's first ever anti-extremism camp.

The event is being organised by Minhaj-ul-Quran UK, whose founder member Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri made headlines earlier this year when he also issued a 600-page fatwa against terrorism.

The weekend’s three-day conference, 'al Hidayah 2010' will explain Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s fatwa to over a thousand ordinary young British Muslims as well as training them to recognise Islamist extremism in their own communities and giving them the theological tools to tackle it themselves.

It will be the first time so many young British Muslims will gather for a conference specifically against Islamist extremism.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said: "I have announced an intellectual and spiritual war against extremism and terrorism. I believe this is the time for moderate Islamic scholars who believe in peace to stand up."

Shahid Mursaleen, spokesman of Minhaj-ul-Quran UK, said: "This is the first anti-terror camp of its kind and I believe this will change the concepts of many Muslim youth who will learn directly from the scholar who issued the fatwa on terrorism. It will be a severe blow to extremist groups in the UK."

A spokesman from anti-extremism think tank, Quilliam Foundation added: "When Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri released his fatwa against terrorism earlier this year, people asked how he would get this message to the people who most need to hear it.

"This weekend provides the answer: a three-day event at which major, genuinely moderate Islamic scholars will train 1,300 young British Muslims to recognise and tackle Islamist extremism.

"This event will give young Muslims the confidence and the theological tools to go back to their own communities across the UK and root out the virus of extremism and intolerance."

The conference will take place between 7-9 August at the University of Warwick’s main campus near Coventry.

Source:
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1313233_over_1000_expected_at_antiterror_camp

Media Coverage

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6751OW20100806
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1313233_over_1000_expected_at_antiterror_camp
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=183848
http://www.allvoices.com/news/6455137-uk-hosts-antiterror-camp-for-muslim-youths
http://www.jewpi.com/uk-hosts-%E2%80%98anti-terror-camp%E2%80%99-for-muslim-youths/