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PRIVACY
Economic Development

Council 'must share blame' for isolating Birmingham's Muslims

Labour MP for Perry Barr Khalid Mahmood says mistakes over housing and jobs have made integration difficult in the city

Birmingham Central Mosque

A Birmingham MP has backed warnings that some Muslims have struggled to integrate into British society - and said both central government and local councils must take a share of the blame.

Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Perry Barr and the first Muslim MP to represent an English constituency, spoke out following the publication this week of a survey which found many Muslims held negative views about homosexuals and the place of women.

The study, commissioned by Channel 4 , formed the basis of a television documentary shown last night called What British Muslims Really Think, presented by Trevor Phillips, the former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

But Mr Mahmood said he did not believe the poll was accurate.

The survey also found the overwhelming majority of British Muslims had a positive view of life in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ.

Speaking to the Birmingham Post, Mr Mahmood said politicians had made a series of mistakes which meant some Birmingham Muslims from poorer families were "isolated".

They include:

* Failing to provide access to cheap housing across the city, so that generations of people are forced to live in the same small part of the city