I WAS shocked to read an article by Dr Taj Hargey, imam of the Oxford Islamic Congregation, about the preachers who teach young Muslim men that white girls are cheap.

Dr Hargey said: “The view of some Islamic preachers towards white women can be appalling.

They encourage their followers to believe that these women are habitually promiscuous, decadent, and sleazy – sins which are made all the worse by the fact that they are kaffurs or non-believers.

“Their dress code, from miniskirts to sleeveless tops, is deemed to reflect their impure and immoral outlook. According to this mentality, these white women deserve to be punished for their behaviour by being exploited and degraded.”

Authorities tiptoe around the issue and refuse to discuss the problems exposed by scandals such as those from Rochdale to Oxford, and Telford to Derby.

Terrified of accusations of racism, desperate not to undermine the official creed of cultural diversity, they took no action against obvious abuse.

The men were allowed to come and go from care homes by the authorities.

If the situation had been reversed with gangs of white men preying on Muslim teenagers the state’s agencies would have acted with greater alacrity.

Dr Hargey said that the case brought shame on the Muslim community and is a setback for cross-community harmony. In all cases, the perpetrators were Muslim men and the victims were under age white girls.

To pretend this is not a problem in some parts of the Islamic community is ideological denial.

B Davison, Darlington.