In parliament yesterday, the Tory MP Michael Gove said: "The right honourable gentleman may be aware that a recent freedom of information inquiry, which was passed to me, reveals that the government have given a grant of £150,000 to the Muslim Council of Britain. He may not be aware, however, that its new chairman, Dr Muhammed Abdul Bari, recently invited to Britain a Saudi cleric who called Jews 'pigs and monkeys', and who also said that Hindus were idol worshippers to whom it would be wrong to talk sweetly."

He went on to say that Dr. Bari was also involved in inviting a Bangladeshi cleric who "has called for American troops to return from Iraq in coffins if they do not convert to Islam".

Would they reconsider their approach to tackling extremism when this was the organisation supposedly responsible for easing inter-religious tension? Of course not: Labour loved the MCB.

Jack Straw said that while he "wholly" deplored the remarks, the MCB was "a sensible organisation that faces its own difficulties in trying to hold together a very diverse community that is itself under pressure".

What the hell does that mean? That they should be excused from inviting bigots over? Given that Inayat Bunglawala writes for Cif, maybe he could explain the context of those remarks.

But this trend for politicians to pander to community organisations with ulterior agendas is not limited to Muslims. In January, Ken Livingstone hosted a conference at City Hall entitled "Making Sikhs isible to decision-makers', featuring the usual motley group of Sikh "community leaders".

A friend who went to this event later spoke of her shock at hearing a representative of the Sikh Federation propose that India should accede to demands for an independent Sikh state.

Aside from the fact that the mayor's office does not seem to understand the implications of what these nutters propose, if certain quarters of the Indian government heard the proceedings, then Ken Livingstone would have a distinctly harder time getting a visa to India next time.

The Foreign Office similarly looked away in embarrassment when Hindu mobs went rampaging across the Indian state of Gujarat in 2001, massacring Muslims. A report that suggested culpability of the state government was quietly buried, while little was said of the British Muslims, who were killed there. Nothing was said when a few months after the riots Gujarat's chief minister, Narendra Modi, came to London to address an event.

These are all examples of the soft racism of low expectations.

Labour is thinking: "These Muslims/Sikhs/Hindus are a bit mad and they feel they're under attack. So what if they invite a few crackpots over? What else do you expect? Sensible mullahs/politicians? No chance."

They are propping each other up like drunks. The love affair between Labour and the MCB, the Sikh Federation and the Hindu Forum means the these groups do not get criticised and continue to receive support while Labour can expect political support (and votes) in return, and also give the impression they care.

Much as it pains me to say this, I hope the Tories blow away this house of cards.