I don't know if this is viewable outside the UK, nor how long it will be available for.

But those who have entrenched opinions on either side of the 'Muslim's in UK' debate should watch it. I certainly found it enlightening, in more ways than one.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03ghfyp/Quitting_the_English_Defence_League_When_Tommy_Met_Mo/

Do I take it that some of our esteemed members were a little hasty casting Tommy as no different from Nick Griffin the leader of the racist BNP? There is plenty to state about the Quilliam foundation, but I guess Mo has trouble enough getting any credibility whatsoever from the Muslim community, a bit like Zudhi Jasser in the U.S.

It does seem that Robinson has had a conversion of almost Damascene proportions; similar to that undergone by one of Quilliam's founders, Maajid Nawaz.

Though, as the film shows, in public Robinson was still spouting the EDL's hate message up until he publicly quit them.

For more on Quilliam, see this from Wikipedia and their website.

Mo Ansar has no connection with Quilliam. He appears on both TV and radio in the UK. He has tackled the far right and Muslim extremists in media debates. He is routinly criticised by both the far right and the more extreme Islamic organisations for his progressive views on homosexuality and treatment of minority groups.

It does seem that Robinson has had a conversion of almost Damascene proportions; similar to that undergone by one of Quilliam's founders, Maajid Nawaz.

Though, as the film shows, in public Robinson was still spouting the EDL's hate message up until he publicly quit them.

For more on Quilliam, see this from Wikipedia and their website.

Mo Ansar has no connection with Quilliam. He appears on both TV and radio in the UK. He has tackled the far right and Muslim extremists in media debates. He is routinly criticised by both the far right and the more extreme Islamic organisations for his progressive views on homosexuality and treatment of minority groups.

Perhaps the government broke him by treating him as badly as Stalinist regimes deal with political dissenters. His address was leaked by the authorities, he spent months in solitary confinement for an offense thousands of illegal immigrants receive no sanction for. He has been arrested countless times for trifles, the last time was essentially for walking down the road and himself being assaulted by a UAF thug, who the police did not even arrest.

Damascene conversion? I'm skeptical, but rather suspect that a street movement of predominantly working class scared the living daylights out of a severely compromised government. The EDL was also constantly dealing with attempts by BNP supporters and general troublemakers to infiltrate it. Furthermore it ha outlived its usefulness seeing as awareness of the political nature of Islam is now becoming mainstream, as Geert Wilders party leading in the Dutch opinion polls shows. As I stated I do have reservations about Mo Ansar as well as Quilliam, but I think he has showed some personal courage putting himself in the same boat as Tommy. Here are a couple of links that may be of interest, first the Spectator's take on the documentary, the second tellingly shows a Muslim reaction to the Quilliam foundation, though I doubt the government wants to hear this.

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/douglas-murray/2013/10/when-tommy-met-mo-revealed-how-far-we-have-to-travel-before-islamism-is-uprooted/

There was a fascinating moment of congruence towards the end when Muslims and non-Muslims agreed on the need to tackle Islamic extremists. Then Robinson said that one of the things that Muslims must do is to tackle the problems in Islam’s foundational texts – at which point one of those Muslims who had previously been in agreement with him became furious with anger.

I highlight the above paragraph as it goes to the very heart of the issue, 'problems in foundational texts' equate to problems with the literal word of Allah when looking from the other side of the fence.

http://www.5pillarz.com/2013/10/09/quilliam-foundation-never-has-a-british-muslim-organisation-been-more-reviled/

In all my years reporting on British Muslims I’ve never come across a Muslim organisation which is more reviled by all strands of the community than the Quilliam Foundation, with the possible exception of al Muhajiroun, writes Roshan Muhammed Salih.

Quilliam is not really for Muslims so much as for projecting the Lib-Left's soft focus idealized view of Islam back to themselves to enable them to sleep at night.

Do I take it that some of our esteemed members were a little hasty casting Tommy as no different from Nick Griffin the leader of the racist BNP? There is plenty to state about the Quilliam foundation, but I guess Mo has trouble enough getting any credibility whatsoever from the Muslim community, a bit like Zudhi Jasser in the U.S.

So would you be prepared to sit down with muslims to work out a solution to the issues facing the different communities within the UK?

Do I take it that some of our esteemed members were a little hasty casting Tommy as no different from Nick Griffin the leader of the racist BNP? There is plenty to state about the Quilliam foundation, but I guess Mo has trouble enough getting any credibility whatsoever from the Muslim community, a bit like Zudhi Jasser in the U.S.

So would you be prepared to sit down with muslims to work out a solution to the issues facing the different communities within the UK?

So you admit there are issues? How about admitting you and the likes of the Guardian got it wrong mischaracterizing the EDL and BNP as being one and the same?

As to your question, sure I would talk to anyone if I thought it would make a difference, but I hasten to add that I have had no road to Damascus conversion. Many Muslims, particularly second and third generation are already on the same page when it comes to accepting primacy of British law, I dare say many only retain cultural vestiges of their religion, but don't spell this out for obvious reasons. The problem is Islam as a political ideology and the failure of successive governments to do something to counter it's spread, action to address this would in my opinion be far more productive than talking until the end of time.

P.S Tommy Robinson is no fool, he may even be on the government payroll, get protection and from time to time be able to expose what is hiding behind the mask.

Steely Dan, there are issues; issues caused by ignorance and the fear ignorance brings on both sides. Only by talking to each other and learning from each other can this ignorance and fear be overcome.

Extremists on both sides don't want to talk, but, as you yourself now admit, the majority of British Muslims are not extremists; neither are the majority of non Muslims.

It seems that Robinson's conversion came about when he learned more about Islam and Muslims in the UK.

Including the fact that most Muslims do not take the Koran literally any more than most Christians take the Bible literally. If you read the Old Testament in it's entirety you will find as many 'nasty' texts there as you will find in the Koran. They are, after all, essentially the same book! Qur'an Bible Torah Comparison

Have you actually watched the programme?

If the BBC link wont work for you where you are, here it is on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEYKgKOv7-c

As for your conspiracy theories, sorry bit I cannot see anyone taking them seriously.

Do I take it that some of our esteemed members were a little hasty casting Tommy as no different from Nick Griffin the leader of the racist BNP? There is plenty to state about the Quilliam foundation, but I guess Mo has trouble enough getting any credibility whatsoever from the Muslim community, a bit like Zudhi Jasser in the U.S.

So would you be prepared to sit down with muslims to work out a solution to the issues facing the different communities within the UK?

So you admit there are issues? How about admitting you and the likes of the Guardian got it wrong mischaracterizing the EDL and BNP as being one and the same?

As to your question, sure I would talk to anyone if I thought it would make a difference, but I hasten to add that I have had no road to Damascus conversion. Many Muslims, particularly second and third generation are already on the same page when it comes to accepting primacy of British law, I dare say many only retain cultural vestiges of their religion, but don't spell this out for obvious reasons. The problem is Islam as a political ideology and the failure of successive governments to do something to counter it's spread, action to address this would in my opinion be far more productive than talking until the end of time.

P.S Tommy Robinson is no fool, he may even be on the government payroll, get protection and from time to time be able to expose what is hiding behind the mask.

name me any group or organization that does not have issues...

Feel free to try and label me with the Grauniad ("leftish liberals" please) and if you can provide any link that shows I think the EDL and BNP are one and the same, fill your proverbial boots.

What with the "Stallinist" imprisonment techniques of the UK govt, but then the startling news that Tommy ...(fill in the gap with the nom de jour) is actually a govt stooge, it all gets a tad confusing. But then again it seems to fit given the stated desires for internment, geographical separation (or is just apartheid), and to cap it all a clash of civilizations against the muslim hordes, when other peoples sons and daughters get to die for the benefit/amusement of armchair chickenhawk types.

Glad to see that you do admit that "Many Muslims, particularly second and third generation are already on the same page when it comes to accepting primacy of British law, I dare say many only retain cultural vestiges of their religion", so why not face the fact that Europe is hardly teetering on the edge of a new caliphate. While this imaginary threat may sell endless copies of the Daily Mail and other such comics, it has no bearing in fact whatsoever.

Take on the active extremists with the full force of the law and the range of state organizations, but labelling entire groups is counter productive at best.