Author: News
Publication: The Free Press Journal
Date: September 13, 2002
The September 11 anniversary here
has provoked concern in Britain following a meeting of Muslim extremists
that they called "A Towering Day in History".
The meeting, reported held at a
mosque in Finsbury Park in North London, was addressed by radical cleric
Abu Hamza and the fundamentalist leader of the Al Muhajiroun group, Sheikh
Omar Bakri Mohammed.
Hamza reportedly warned that the
Sepetmber 11 atrocities could happen again.
"The message is simple. Stay
away and preserve your people."
He said, "We strongly condemn American
foreign policy. If America cont9inues demonising and persecuting
Muslim countries, it can expect retaliation." His threats included Britain
as well. "(Prime Minister Tony) Blair is following (President George)
Bush blindly like a puppet. Every action has a reaction."
Hamza said, "America has used September
11 as an excuse to wage war against all its enemies in Arab Countries.
After Iraq it will be Syria. It will never stop." But he said that
a backlash against American across the Islamic world had been a "benefit"
of the attacks. "It is uniting the Muslim world".
"As it gets difficult for organised
groups to attacks, there will be individuals retaliating with attacks,
for their families and loved ones," Hamza reportedly predicted.
Bakri Mohammed addressed the gathering
at the mosque later to say: "Muslims in Afghanistan believe they have the
right to retaliate.
"And we believe the Taliban have
the right to defend themselves and the right to fight back, including Osama
bin Laden and Al Qaida". Bakri Mohammed claimed that a "positive
outcome" of the September 11 attacks had been that they damaged the US
economy.
He said: "I always regret the loss
of innocent lives but I can understand why they wanted to do it."
Signs of opposition to the Muslim group were evident outside.
