A shocking program aired on British TV's Channel 4 recently that should give pause to every Western government concerned about their domestic terror threat and raise questions from citizens about who their elected representatives are seeking advice and guidance from regarding Islam and terrorism.

The half—hour program, Who Speaks for Muslims, presented by New Statesman political editor, Martin Bright, reveals that high ranking officials in the Foreign Office of the Blair Administration are openly advocating dialogue with some of the most radical international jihadist elements, allowing them to enter the UK after re—labeling them as 'moderate' and 'mainstream'; in addition to the administration's close alliance with the Muslim Council of Britain, an organization dominated by radical Islamists and which is far from actually representative of British Muslims.

On July 12^th, two days before the program was aired, a publication was released by the UK—based think tank, Policy Exchange, authored by Martin Bright, When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries: the British State's Flirtation with Radical Islamism. This pamphlet includes a number of top—secret Foreign Office documents provided to Bright by anonymous sources and cited in the Channel 4 documentary.

These documents clearly demonstrate an effort by officials in Whitehall to mainstream two extremist clerics with direct terrorist ties: Youssef Qaradawi, the international spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and advocate of Palestinian suicide bombings; and Bangladeshi MP Delwar Hossein Sayeedi, who the Channel 4 program shows preaching a sermon saying that all British and US soldiers in Iraq need to either be converted to Islam, or sent back home in coffins. Those comments notwithstanding, a top Foreign Office official, Mockbul Ali, defends Sayeedi in the documents released by Bright saying that he is among the 'mainstream' in Bangladesh—region>, despite the fact that his political party only received 6 percent of the vote in the last election.

That the British Foreign Office has given the imprimatur to these two jihadi preachers — both of whom have been banned from entering the US—region> because of their terrorist ties — is evidenced by the visas issued by the British government to both men. In 2004, Qaradawi, who issued the fatwa permitting Hamas suicide bombings yet is described in Foreign Office documents as 'a respected scholar of Islam', was allowed to enter the country and preach in London despite fierce protests from British Jewish groups. And earlier this week, Sayeedi was permitted by the Foreign Office to enter the country and speak at mosques in London and Luton.

Furthermore, it was revealed earlier this month that the British Government paid for Qaradawi and his wife to attend a recent two—day conference in Istanbul at a five—star resort sponsored by British taxpayers to the tune of