WALTHAM FOREST: US State Department representatives come to Waltham Forest (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WALTHAM FOREST: US State Department representatives come to Waltham Forest

10:00am Tuesday 9th October 2007 in Search By Sarah Cosgrove

WASHINGTON came to Waltham Forest this evening when two representatives of the US State Department joined in discussions with members of the Muslim community.

Farah Pandith, senior advisor to the assistant secretary bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and Jared Cohen from policy planning in Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's department visited the Al-Badr Centre in Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow.

The two bureaucrats, accompanied by the American cultural attache Michael Macy and security people, met young Muslims, Muslim elders and councillors at the invitation of the Active Change Foundation (ACF) which works with young Muslims in Waltham Forest under the leadership of Hanif Qadir The main topic of dicussion was the problems facing young Muslims in the borough.

Ms Pandith, who was born in Kashmir, has spent the past eight months talking to Muslim across Europe and said that societies and non-governmental organisations like ACF were where change happened.

Mr Cohen, whose brief is to report on the issues facing young people around the world, said young people had more in common with each other than one might think. Media portrayal of Muslims, Islamist extremism, training and education, Muslim parents and American foreign policy were also discussed.