Mr Smith - I think that the problem some people have with Mr Qaradawi’s position regarding Israel is that he supports attacks upon civilians inside pre-1967 Israel, i.e. what most of the world community considers to be ‘Israel proper’. He has said that, while he doesn’t support attacks on civilians in, say, the UK, Israel is different because most adults are military reservists and are therefore legitimate targets. I think that does make him quite extreme in terms of respectable opinion internationally, and set him apart from people who might say that Palestinians have a right to target Israeli soldiers and settlers. (For instance, he’s had a disagreement with Mayor Ken Livingstone on this matter.) Btw I don’t know that Mr Bright does hold this nuanced view, I haven’t read anything else he’s written about the subject.

6.45pm - 8.30pm, 45 Crawford Place, London.

Controversy abounds about the nature and scope of the government’s current dialogue with the British Muslim community through Muslim organisations that are perceived to be out of touch with the reality of Muslim lives on the ground and aligned to fundamentalist Islamist parties overseas. Martin Bright has sparked new controversy with recent pieces in the New Statesman and a Channel 4 documentary to be aired later this week arguing that those “representing” British Muslims to government are deeply influenced by the views of Islamist political ideologues.

So is the government’s engagement with Muslim groups having a moderating influence on them or promoting Islamist fundamentalism in the UK? Does the government recognise that the Muslim community is diverse and not homogenous with “one” voice? Is it making an effort to hear grassroot voices or those from different strands of Muslim opinion? Should the government have a role in aiding the creation of new indigenous British Muslim groups or is it up to Muslim communities to mobilise themselves? Join us next week for this vital and timely debate.