Author: Philip Johnston, Home Affairs
Editor, Paul Stokes and Sally Pook
Publication: The Daily Telegraph
Date: October 9, 2001
Reaction among Britain's two million
Muslims to the British and American raids on Afghanistan ranged from expressions
of concern to outright hostility.
Dr Mohammed Naseem, leader of Birmingham's
Central Mosque, one of the largest in the country, said: "I experienced
sadness and dismay when I heard of the bombings. No dialogue was entered
into, and that is saddening."
Dr Naseem said he did not disbelieve
Tony Blair when he said the war was against terrorism, not Muslims. "The
problem is that he has not established a case against those he calls terrorists.
We maintain that someone is innocent until proven guilty; in this case
we are saying that a person [Osama Bin Laden] is guilty because we have
accused him."
The Islamic Society of Britain said
the attacks were unjust. "We urge Mr Blair to re-consider his stance and
resolve this matter with peaceful, diplomatic means," it said. "The struggle
for peace will only be hampered by such aggressive measures. The search
for justice must be pursued through an international court."
In Bradford, West Yorks, where 70,000
Muslims live, religious leaders and councillors were also critical. Sajawal
Hussain, a Labour councillor, said: "America has no proof that bin Laden
was behind the US attacks. George Bush is no better than whoever was behind
the September 11 atrocities; he is repaying terror with terror and killing
innocent people."
Sher Azam, president of the Bradford
Council of Mosques, said: "This bombing doesn't discriminate and I can't
see innocent civilians escaping the attacks." There was support for the
attacks from Mohammed Riaz, ethnic affairs adviser to Iain Duncan Smith,
the Conservative leader.
He said: "America and Britain have
undertaken an extensive political campaign to take on board all the key
nations in the world including Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Their involvement indicates that the evidence America has presented to
them about Osama bin Laden's involvement are justifiable."
The most outspoken criticism came
from extreme Islamists. "The bombing of Afghanistan is an act of terrorism
by the sadistic, barbaric US and UK regimes against human beings," said
Al Muhajiroun (The Exiles), led by Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed.
He said British Muslims had a duty
to speak out against evil forces that were attacking Islam. "I believe
now that Muslims in the West have to retaliate against these barbaric attacks.
"We do not advocate violence so
there is no need for a fatwa against Blair or anything like that. But I
think every Muslim has a duty to be involved in the political protest by
way of retaliation. We have to raise funds for the needy people in Afghanistan,
we have to make speeches putting forward our point of view."
Abu Hamza, a fundamentalist cleric
who lost an eye and both hands fighting in Afghanistan and now preaches
at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, said the attack was a night
of victory for bin Laden. He said: "It is a lost war for America. Already
bin Laden has been victorious. He has managed to get his message all over
the world, which is exactly what he wanted.
"He made everyone focus on one key
issue: the embarrassing policies of America which has double standards
in Arab and Muslim countries. It was a night of victory for bin Laden because
he has shown this is the sort of aggression the Americans have used against
Palestine."
The cleric, who leads the Supporters
of Shariah movement, said bin Laden was not responsible for the American
atrocities, but the West was turning him into a martyr by bombing Afghanistan.
He said: "He was not directly involved
in what happened on September 11. Tony Blair has said the evidence against
him would not stand up in a court of law. Surely that is not enough reason
to start a war?"
Among those at the mosque yesterday
was Abdur Razzak, 62. He said: "Whoever did wrong in the World Trade Centre
attack must be punished, whoever they are and whatever their religion.
But innocent people must not suffer.
"They could have solved this by
talking with the Taliban, not killing innocent people in Afghanistan. That
is what they should have been doing. Not looking for a military solution."
