Muslims attack Blair over plan to 'spy on them at universities'

They denounced as "racism" proposals for lecturers to report suspicious behaviour by students.

Their views were highlighted in a government-commissioned report published today.

"Keeping in mind that the majority of the students who were interviewed for the study will be part of the next generation of Muslim professionals and very likely to be active within their communities, 'spying' and marginalisation are messages universities should be keen to avoid promoting," says the report.

One student said: "Spying on Asian looking students is incredible. By doing that they are actually making it more difficult, because if there are extremists out there they would just go underground - and when they go underground that's it."

The Prime Minister also unveiled fresh moves today to stop young British Muslims being radicalised by foreign imams and militant groups, such as Abu Hamza, the hook-handed cleric who preached hate to Muslims at the Finsbury Park mosque in London. He was jailed last year for soliciting murder and stirring up racial hatred.

At an inter-faith conference in central London, he stressed that many Muslims complained that their faith was being "hijacked" by small radical groups. "The voices of extremism are no more representative of Islam than the use, in times gone by, of torture to force conversion to Christianity, represents the true teaching of Christ," he said.

The Prime Minister announced that government cash will be used to train Muslim imams at UK universities.

Islamic Studies courses are also to be designated as "strategically important" to Britain's national interests.

The Siddiqui Report, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, warns that many university courses in Islamic studies focus too narrowly on the Middle East.

The Government also wants Islamic schools - or madrassas - to build closer ties with the mainstream British education system.