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| Europe |
| Muslim Groups in UK and Germany Denounce Terrorism |
| 2004-04-06 |
| A recent message issued by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) .... urged the United Kingdom’s approximately two million Muslims "to observe utmost vigilance against any mischievous or criminal elements from infiltrating the community and provoking any unlawful activity." It asked them to cooperate with local police in dealing with any criminal activity. "The response has been overwhelmingly positive, actually," Inayat Bunglawala of the MCB told RFE/RL [Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty]. "They are delighted that we have put clear blue water between the mainstream Muslim community and that very vocal -- but also extremely tiny -- group of radical elements who have wasted no opportunity to gloat over the events in Madrid, and even to wish a similar attack on this country." .... Germany’s two largest Islamic groups yesterday also issued a rejection of "terror and violence." Germany’s Islamic Council and the Central Council of Muslims in Germany issued a joint statement condemning "every form of terrorism" in response to the Madrid bombings, which killed 191 people. Ali Kizilkaya, chairman of the Islamic Council, told Reuters the joint statement was partly spurred by urgings to do so. German Interior Minister Otto Schily told a German newspaper last month he expects more from Germany’s 3 million Muslims. He said "Muslims cannot just be passive onlookers. They must also campaign for peace in society." The timing of its message was right, according to Bunglawala. He said the British public was angered by the actions of some 20 followers of the extremist Al-Muhajiroun group, who on 2 April held a demonstration in which they burned a British flag and chanted "Bin Laden Is Coming." "Such actions have really exasperated and disgusted the Muslim community because it has reawakened this feeling of Islam phobia, which is never far from the surface, and it led to a lot of attacks on the Muslim community and their institutions -- even their cemeteries -- in this country," Bunglawala said. He said this is why the MCB’s statement also urged Muslims to engage with the media to refute misconceptions about Islam and to develop contacts with other faith communities. This is exactly the opposite of what the extremists are trying to do, according to Bunglawala. .... Bunglawala said he is proud that two of Britain’s most extremist Muslim preachers -- Abu Hamza and Omar Bakri -- came out in opposition to the Muslim Council’s statement. "That only confirms to us the wisdom of what we did, because if we are opposed by the likes of Abu Hamza and Omar Bakri, it is a position that we want, actually," Bunglawala said. "If they approved of what we were doing, we would be worried." ..... |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |
| #1 Any word from CAIR on our side of the pond? I guess we know where they stand (as if we didn't already...). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-06 9:34:12 PM |