TWO Muslim groups were slammed for failing to condemn the Manchester massacre.

The Muslim Public Affairs Committee and Muslim community blog 5 Pillars were accused of “not being on our side” as they refused to back a joint statement from 37 Muslim groups denouncing the slaughter.

4 Two Muslim groups have come under fire for failing to condemn the attack in Manchester Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd

Instead MPAC spokesman Raza Nadim branded the denouncing of Monday night’s horrific attack by other groups as a “cheap PR stunt”.

It followed comments from Shaista Gohir, chair of the Muslim Women’s Network, who told BBC Newsnight: “This attack has been so horrific that everybody - no matter what your background is - has condemned this - this is an attack on children, this is an attack on all of us.

“But although the Muslim community by and large is really shaken with this and is really condemning it unfortunately there are a small cohort of people, individuals, organisations - I’m not going to name them on here - they are very active in terms of they will not want Muslims to work with the government.”

4 Asghar Bukhari sparked outrage for comparing the Manchester bombing to the West’s military action in the Middle East

Asked if they would support ISIS, she added: “They’re not on our side and I would put them on the side of extremists.”

Questioned by The Sun, Mr Nadir confirmed his organisation had not condemned the terror attack, or put out any statement on it.

He said: “I think most Muslim groups in my opinion are doing it as a cheap PR stunt.

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“There’s no need to, to prove our humanity. Clearly it’s sad and wrong that innocent people have lost their lives and that’s that.

“I don’t think there should be any pressure or anything at all on any Muslim group or any Muslim individual to have to condemn anything – because naturally we are against people dying.”

Muslim community website 5 Pillars also refused two opportunities to condemn the Manchester attack.

4 Shaista Gohir said that an attack on children should be condemned by everyone regardless of background Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd

Instead its editor Roshan M Salih hit out at demands for Muslims “to condemn things they’ve nothing to do with”.

Even the Muslim human rights group CAGE – which once described ISIS militant Jihadi John as a “beautiful man” - denounced Monday night’s atrocity.

And controversial Muslim community group MEND said in a statement: “We deplore and condemn this attack which police are currently treating as a terrorist incident.

4 37 Muslim groups came together in a joint statement to denounce the attack Credit: Getty Images

But Asghar Bukhari, a founding member of MPAC who has now left the group, sparked outrage after he compared the actions of the Manchester bombing to the West’s military action in the Middle East.

He wrote on Twitter on Wednesday: “Children of Manchester share the same horror of those murdered in drone strikes. Both are killed by terrorists.”

He added: “We bombed them and they bombed us. Kids paid the price on both sides.”