According to leaked counter-extremism documents, religious leaders who speak at public events, such as priests, imams and rabbis, will be have to sign a national register, as well as undergo training approved by the government.
According to a draft of the document, the proposals will “require all faiths to maintain a national register of faith leaders” for clerics who work for institutions that receive money from the public, or who speak at publicly funded events.
The leaked document was reported by The Sunday Telegraph and it provoked infuriation.
Maulana Shah Raza, an imam and founding member of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, has warned Whitehall “not to meddle in religious affairs or to expand the state's involvement in deciding on religious and theological issues”.
On the other hand, chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum, Mohammed Amin said that as the public sector was “a purchaser of religious preachers' services”, it was “entitled to keep a register of acceptable providers”.
The leak document had described extremism as “the vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and the tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”.
