BY TREVOR GRUNDY ©2013 Religion News Service

Britain’s domestic secret
service—M15—works hand in hand with informants who sometimes monitor sermons in
mosques and tell the police about suspicious members.

The former head of M15, Eliza
Manningham-Buller, told the BBC there were many such Muslim agents who provide
crucial information about members of their community to the police. Without
their help the security services would not be as effective at rooting out
potential terrorists.

During her radio appearance she spoke
alongside an unnamed informant whose voice was read by an actor to protect his
identity.

“This is a brave man and we all have to
be grateful to him,” she said of the informant.

The informant said he was recruited by
the police seven years ago and cooperated with M15 to fight Muslim extremists.

He said he did not receive a salary from
the police but was reimbursed for his expenses.

He added that he hoped to educate people
about the willingness of Muslims to safeguard British society.

Manningham-Buller became the
director-general of M15 in 2002 and resigned in 2007.

During the interview, the Muslim informant
said a large number of Muslim organizations worked with the British police.

A statement on the M15 website said the
organization does not investigate any group or individual on the grounds of
their ethnicity or religious beliefs. There are 2.8 million Muslims in England.

“The security service is committed to
protecting the security of all UK citizens, of every faith and ethnic group,”
it said.

One of the main anti-terrorist groups
working in England is the government-funded Quilliam Foundation headed by two
former Muslim militants who now work with the security authorities.