Should we be funding extremist debate? No! say Libdems

7.11.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 14th Feb 2008

Is this a good use of your money?

The Leader of Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrat group, Councillor Stephanie Eaton today expressed shock and outrage at revelations that Council funding was being used to finance a debate which included a speaker from the controversial Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Speaking of her concern to party members Cllr Eaton said today "While I am committed to the principle of free speech within the law, I believe it is wrong that Council Tax payers' money is being used to allow an extremist organisation to speak. They can argue and debate as much as they like but why should the people of Tower Hamlets pay for it?"

The Muslim Debating Society, supported by Tower Hamlets Council is organising the debate to ask "whether Muslims should become more politically active or shun politics altogether" Speakers include the Chairman of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, Dr Abdul Wahid.

Hizb ut-Tahrir say of themselves: "In the Muslim world, Hizb ut-Tahrir works at all levels of society to bring the Muslims back to living an Islamic way of life under the shade of the Khilafah (Caliphate) State following an exclusively political method."

In August 2005 the then Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Hizb ut-Tahrir would be banned but so far the group has remained off the list of proscribed groups.