MUSLIM leaders are hoping to meet with Jack Straw over his recent comments concerning Pakistani males and ‘grooming’.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition asking for the Blackburn MP to publicly apologise for implying that Pakistani males see white girls as ‘easy meat’.

The petition has also been signed by some Labour councillors in Blackburn with Darwen.

Mr Straw has been criticised by some sections of the Pakistani community for the comments which made national headlines.

The online petition has been backed up by canvassers collecting signatures outside mosques.

Waqar Hussain, of the ‘Lancashire Muslims’, which is heading the petition, said the comments had perpetuated several myths.

He said the myths were, “firstly, that Pakistani men were a threat to young white women due to their cultural background.

“Secondly, that citing ethnicity as a causal factor for sex crimes stops racism, and finally that there has been a ‘conspiracy of silence’ on the issue of grooming by Pakistani heritage men.”

The organisation, set up to promote community harmony, said it believed Mr Straw’s comments did nothing to protect the victims of sexual violence, they only served to ignore the complexity of the situation.

Members of the community are hoping to meet Mr Straw at his surgery at Bangor Street Community Centre.

Backburn councillor Damian Talbot, who runs Mr Straw’s office, said the MP had already met with some of his councillors to apologise for the way his comments had been reported.

He said: “Jack would never intentionally offend any section of the community.”