Knighted Muslim vows to speak out

Sir Iqbal says he will not be silenced on important issues

The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain says he will not dilute criticism of the establishment because he has received a knighthood.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie told Sky's Sunday with Adam Boulton the honour would not make it more difficult for him to speak out over issues such as the Iraq war.

He said the knighthood, awarded in the Queen's Birthday Honours, recognised "the work of the community at large".

Sir Iqbal also welcomed plans to make inciting religious hatred an offence.

He said: "As a Muslim we work in community work, charitable work, for the sole purpose of seeking pleasure from your creator.

"And whilst doing that work, of course there are areas of difficulties that you face, difficult decisions have to be made but then, at the end of the day, the decisions are based on what is right for the community and for the society at large.

"So you will be quite critical about the Cabinet, about the establishment, and if there is some very positive work done by the Cabinet and establishment you would need to support and encourage them."

Sir Iqbal said a religious hatred law would bring about greater equality.

"You can't have a society where we say that everybody is to be treated equally...when there are certain disadvantages, certain lacunas in law that treats certain communities and particularly certain faith communities in a disadvantaged manner."