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A minister has warned that many British Muslims feel "like the Jews of Europe".

Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik, who is a minister in the Department for International Development, made it clear he was not comparing the situation experienced by Muslims to the plight of Jews during the Holocaust.

However he suggested that targeting Muslims led to them feeling under siege.

This had the negative effects of segregating society and undermining efforts to deal with extremism and terrorism, he added.

Mr Malik, who revealed he had been the victim of religious hatred himself on a number of occasions, made the comments in an interview for a Channel 4 Dispatches programme.

He said: "I think most people would agree that if you ask Muslims today what do they feel like, they feel like the Jews of Europe.

"I don't mean to equate that with the Holocaust but in the way that it was legitimate almost - and still is in some parts - to target Jews, many Muslims would say that we feel the exact same way.

"Somehow there's a message out there that it's OK to target people as long as it's Muslims. And you don't have to worry about the facts, and people will turn a blind eye."

The documentary - which investigates whether the fear of terrorism has fuelled the rise of violence, intolerance and hatred against British Muslims - will be broadcast on Monday to coincide with the third anniversary of the July 7 London bombings.

Mr Malik's constituency in West Yorkshire was home to July 7 suicide bomber Mohammad Siddique Khan.

The MP, who told how his car was firebombed, a car drove at him in a petrol station and said he receives regular hate mail, today called for action to be taken to help Muslims feel accepted in society.

"It is critical we ensure that Britain's near two million Muslims have a sense of belonging and feel accepted first and foremost because it is their right as British citizens but secondly because it is vital in the fight against violent extremism in the name of Islam," he said.

"With some 2,000 people under surveillance because of the possibility that they might engage in terrorism the threat of an attack is a very real one and Muslims in communities up and down the country become indispensable in the fight against terrorism.

"Yet there is no doubt that many Muslims feel under siege in the media and in society and this siege mentality feeds into a wider victim narrative."

Mr Malik said the apparent persecution made it more difficult for people in positions of responsibility to persuade people to challenge the "small minority of extremists who call themselves Muslims".

Instead, he said, many Muslims become more insular and disconnected from mainstream society and their appetite to challenge is diminished.

Mr Malik said: "It is clear that it is in all our interests to help eradicate the feeling that many Muslims have of unfair treatment, discrimination and being lesser citizens. In particular, it is the role of those in positions of responsibility, such as politicians and the media, to empower Muslims to take on extremists and not constrain or hinder their capacity to do so.

"Making them feel secure and accepted as Britons is the first and most crucial element on this journey. The fight against Islamophobia and the fight against extremism within the Muslim community are inextricably linked - in many ways they are one and the same fight.

"A greater focus on integration and education is vital in creating the understanding which will lessen Islamophobia and also empower Muslim communities to feel valued citizens of our great country, ready and willing to confront extremism."

An ICM survey accompanying the Dispatches film found that 51% of Britons blame Islam to some degree for the 2005 attacks, the Independent reported today.

In addition, while 90% of Muslims described feeling attached to Britain, eight out of 10 reportedly believed there was more religious prejudice against their faith since the July bombings.

10:54am Friday 4th July 2008

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