CAIRO, July 7, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The Muslim minority in Britain vehemently denounced the series of blasts that rocked the capital of their country Thursday, July 7. "The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) utterly condemns the perpetrators of what appears to be a series of coordinated attacks in London this morning that have led to several fatalities and a large number of casualties," the group said in a statement posted on its Web site. The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), another leading representative of the minority, expresses "its disgust with the contempt in which the perpetrators appear to hold human life." In a statement posted on its Web site, the MAB maintained that "Islam holds the sanctity of human life in the highest possible regard and shedding the blood of an innocent person is seen as a crime most heinous and repulsive." According to Sky News, more than 45 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in London when several blasts ripped through the capital at rush hour early Thursday. Witnesses saw the top ripped off a double-decker bus near Russell Square close to King's Cross train terminal, and packed subway trains were hit in three more apparently coordinated blasts. Together in Grief Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary General of the MCB, stressed that the British people, irrespective of their religious and ethnic backgrounds, should remain united at the time of crisis. "Yesterday we celebrated as Londoners, euphoric that our great city had secured the London games. Today we watch aghast as we witness a series of brutal attacks upon our capital city. We were together in our celebration; we must remain together in our time of crisis," he said. The attacks came just one day after London beat Paris to Olympic victory by 54 votes to 50 in the final round of voting earlier Wednesday, July 6. Sacranie, one of the London bid's ambassadors, told IslamOnline.net over the phone Wednesday that Muslims have played a positive role in their country's successful efforts to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Extending Help The two Muslim bodies expressed solidarity and sympathy with the families of the dead and wounded and extended a hand of assistance. The MAB called on Muslims everywhere to "provide all assistance and support requested by the emergency services and to contribute fully towards the smooth and successful progress of their work." The MCB, meanwhile, expressed its deepest sympathies and "our prayers are with the victims, their families and friends". "We extend our support and gratitude to the emergency services, the Police and all the frontline services charged with our collective security." Possible Backlash A previously unknown group, the Secret Group of Al-Qaeda's Jihad in Europe, reportedly claimed responsibility for the London blasts. The claim could not be verified and did not appear on any of the Web sites normally used by Al-Qaeda, according to Reuters. If confirmed, this might mean more trouble for the Muslim minority in Britain. The European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) recently said the Muslim minority has been living in a "climate of fear" since the September 11 attacks. Muslims in Britain have been complaining of maltreatment by police under the Terrorism Act for no apparent reason other than being Muslim, citing the routine stop-and-search operations. Senior British parliamentarians admitted last August that anti-terrorism laws are being used "disproportionately" against the Muslim minority. A report revealed Monday, July 19, 2004, that more than nine out of 10 white Britons have no or hardly any Muslim or other ethnic minority friends, raising warnings against growing racial hatred and belief in racist propaganda. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of Hidayahnet unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from Hidayahnet, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
|
