Author: SA
Publication: News24.com
Date: August 20, 2006
URL: http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1985786,00.html
A Muslim academic, who once said he was prepared to be a suicide bomber, accused Britain and the United States on Sunday of waging a "war against Islam", calling opponents of Tony Blair and George W Bush "martyrs".
"The greatest act of martyrdom is standing up for what is true and just.
"Martyrs are those who stand up in defiance of (US President) George Bush and (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair," Azzam Tamimi told 8 000 people in Manchester.
His comments are likely to add to the debate about Islam in Britain in the wake of the arrests of 24 people - most of them of Pakistani origin - in connection with an alleged plot to blow US-bound aircraft from the skies.
Since the alleged conspiracy was broken on August 10, many of Britain's 1.5 million Muslims have expressed fears that they are being unfairly targeted by anti-terrorism legislation.
'You say desist'
Others have pointed to British foreign policy in the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan as a key driver for disaffection and radicalisation, particularly among young Muslims.
In his speech, Tamimi accused Blair and Bush of not pursuing a path that was "just and fair".
"You stand up to them and you say desist. Stop this injustice. Stop this oppression.
"We are Muslims in Europe, not European Muslims. Being fair and just means finding the middle path," he said.
"The middle path is not rubbing shoulders with Tony Blair and George Bush.
"We are not terrorists. We are defenders of the truth."
Tamimi added: "The (British) government is trying to turn the war on terror into the war on Islam."