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Imams English culture plea
27/ 2/2004
PAKISTANI imams who come to preach in the North West should get
special help to learn English before they leave the home country
Home Secretary David Blunkett was told during a recent visit to
Pakistan.
Bradford Labour peer Lord Ahmed greeted Mr Blunkett when he visited
Mirpur - a town where thousands of North West Pakistanis originate
from.
Lord Ahmed said the British Council should set up English courses
in places like Mirpur to help imams and others who were planning to
visit the UK.
He said: "Many of our young people in the Pakistani community in
the UK have difficulty understanding Urdu or Punjabi. They need to
have sermons delivered in English.
"More importantly, we want our imams to be able to understand the
culture they are preaching in."
Mr Blunkett said he was sure the British High Commission in
Pakistan would respond to Lord Ahmed's plea.
The Home Secretary also announced a relaxation of visa restrictions
imposed in May 2002 after terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
He said application would be accepted from the over 30s who
intended to visit family in the UK, children who intended to join
relatives and retired people who would not depend on UK
benefits.
He said the UK government hoped to lift all further restriction by
spring.
Mirpur ranks third in the world for visa application to travel to
Britain after Lagos in Nigeria and Mumbai in India.
There were 95,000 Mirpuri applications last year.
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