Blue Peter Konnie's sister blasts bid to 'spy on Muslim students'

13 April 2012

Government plans to get universities to spy on Muslim students resemble a "McCarthyite witch-hunt", a woman tipped to become Britain's first Bangladeshi MP warned today.

Rupa Huq, a university lecturer and sister of Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, said the "silent majority" of moderate Muslims were tired of being associated with terrorism and ministers risked alienating more youngsters with the on-campus campaign. Ms Huq hit out after Higher Education minister Bill Rammell said he would press on with plans to get universities to help prosecute extremists and radicals propagating messages of hate.

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The 34-year-old sociology academic spoke out this week amid increasing speculation that she may become the Labour candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow at the next general election. Ms Huq, a part-time DJ and lecturer at Kingston University, said most academics like herself were worried about being used in a crackdown.

"There are a handful of radical Islamic elements in our universities who need to be counteracted by the power of debate," she said.

"But this initiative is in danger of turning into a McCarthyite witch-hunt and it could only inflate the influence of this tiny minority out of all proportion." Though reluctant to trade on her celebrity connection, Ms Huq is nonetheless proud of her famous younger sister, who recently interviewed Tony Blair for Blue Peter.

"Konnie is probably the most prominent Bangladeshi person in the country. She gets sack loads of fan mail and the role model she offers to young girls, including Asian girls, is fantastic," she said. "We should be promoting positive examples of the British Bangladeshi community not stereotypical backwardness and the small book burning individuals who are adept at getting media attention but don't speak for the silent, moderate majority."

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