Muslim women are to be invited on government-funded assertiveness training courses in a bid to counter Islamist radicalism.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears is to publish a document arguing that women have the potential to become a voice for moderation in Muslim communities and steer young people away from the clutches of extremist recruiters.

She will tell local authorities to use part of a £70 million Government fund, set up to counter extremism, to pay for courses in confidence building, communication and mediation skills for Muslim women.

Women are expected to be offered work placements with business leaders and successful athletes, while funding will be made available to set up Muslim women's groups to provide a safe space for discussion.

Professional motivational firms may run role-play courses to teach Muslim mothers how to speak out if they fear their children are being seduced by extremists and to challenge those peddling jihadist ideas.

A Whitehall source said: "Muslim women can have a unique moral authority at the heart of families as sisters, mothers and friends and must be supported to play a greater role in tackling extremist ideology."

But the assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, Inayat Bunglawala, said: "The Government at first wanted our imams to act as spies on young British Muslims and now they seem to want Muslim women to do the same."