TRADITIONAL family values have kept East Lancashire Asians from the clutches of Muslim extremists, a race relations expert has claimed.

But Mr Rafique Malik, Director of Blackburn Racial Equality Council, today warned that the development of groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir was a symptom of problems already apparent in the area.

The National Union of Students called for the government to ban the organisation following a survey based on calls to their Campus Watch line.

Seventy per cent of calls concerned Hizb ut-Tahrir, a Muslim group accused of spreading a message of hatred against Jews, Hindus and homosexuals while only a quarter of calls concerned organisations like the British National Party.

Mr Malik said he knew that local students had attended rallies arranged by the group and that some had fallen under their spell.

Blaming it on a "culture clash", he said: "Recently, a dangerous phenomena has emerged in which black and white parents have separated their children at school.

"This means that, as has happened in East Lancashire, youngsters lead completely separate lives. When Asians leave school, then college and university, they realise the negative affect this has had. They end up without work and disheartened. They turn to groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir which provide them with an outlet for their anger.

"Luckily, the Asian community in this area is still fairly close knit."

It is believed that at least one Blackburn student has attended a training camp run by the group where followers are taught fighting skills which could be used in the fight for a Muslim state.

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