Barring this website it seems the Muslim community has again remained tight-lipped following the most recent terror raids.

There is a part of us that says ‘who would actually blame them?’ The all too familiar raids have become an almost fortnightly occurrence and some media for their hunger for the sensationalist stories are fast reporting rumour and conjecture as fact.

From what we are too read this particular plot centred around the killing of innocent people at the Trafford Shopping Centre and the Birdcage nightclub.

The Arndale and St Annes Square were also thrown into the hat by some reporters.

The point that many of those arrested were Pakistani’s on student visa’s has will also make for good column inches in the proceeding days as the case is dissected before it reaches court.

Yes, the community has a duty to support the police at all times at such times. Yes, we are aware of the ramifications of such atrocities. Yes, the very idea someone would want to hurt his fellow man in such a way is alien to us.

It should make no difference whether the targets such as the Trafford Centre are also frequented by hundreds of Muslims themselves.

But again the world is watches as the whole Muslim community is set to face the wrath of the UK media due to what is still the ALLEGED actions of a few. Should we really be made to feel the blame of the actions of others?

For many the very notion that ‘Muslim’ and ‘terrorist’ are used in the same headline over and over again is enough to cause them to stop commenting and talking altogether.

But talk and comment we must because it is only through making our voices heard that perceptions will change. It may well mean the community is fighting a losing battle with media outlets keen to report ONLY on the negative aspects but does that mean we stop conferring and talking altogether?

It is times like this however when the silence from the Muslim leadership is deafening.

It seems that no-one, not even our elected politicians, dare make any statements in case they are also tainted with the ‘terrorism’ brush. Would it be too much to ask for simply calling for calm and understanding amongst the wider community?

Some members of the Muslim leadership remain at loggerheads with the government whilst others like the Quilliam Foundation are simply not taken seriously enough by the majority of Muslims.

The Ramadhan Foundation are always one of the first to allay fears by contacting the media and for this they have to be commended.

This commmunity may well feel like it is under siege but just because we have seen such scenarios before should not mean we remain apathetic to the developing situations.