Muslims Crowding London's Mosques Say They Fear Backlash in Aftermath of Bombings

AP ^ | Jul 8, 2005 | Jill Lawless

[phoenix_004]

Thousands of Muslims crowded London mosques for Friday prayers, condemning the bombings, but also wary they could be made scapegoats and fearful of reprisals against their growing and vibrant community. At the East London Mosque, near the site of one of Thursday's attacks, an imam told the 8,000 worshippers to be "confident in our identity" as part of London's multicultural fabric.

The mosque said it had received hate e-mails and a telephone threat to disrupt Friday prayers. A few police officers stood outside during the prayers, which ended peacefully.

Outside, some Muslims said the attacks had made them more cautious on the streets, but others said they were secure in their identity as Londoners - confident of the city's tolerant traditions.

"It will have some impact on people. But this is London, a cosmopolitan city," said student Ali Ayubi. "Maybe after one or two months it will go back to normal."

At the huge brick mosque in an East End neighborhood that's home to many with roots in Pakistan and Bangladesh, imam Sheikh Abdul Qayyum told worshippers that Muslims were "part of the rich diversity of British life."

"At this difficult time, some people in our community may feel insecure purely because they are Muslims, but these terrible events have nothing to do with us. The Muslims of London are victims as much as their fellow citizens," he said.

All of Britain's major Muslim groups condemned the bombings, which killed dozens and wounded more than 700. But some feared they would be blamed for the bombings, which police said bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida.

"This morning I was driving to work and a woman on the radio said she'd had her headscarf pulled. I was shocked, to be honest," said Ahmed Shafi, 31, a grocery store manager. "In this day and age you don't expect that."

Almost 1 million of London's 8 million people are Muslims. They're inseparable from the fabric of the city's society and its history. From the opulent glitz of Harrods department store - owned by Egyptian-born Mohammed al Fayed - to the kebab shops that dot the city's streets, Muslims have long been part of London's glamour and its grit.

Prime Minister Tony Blair stressed that Islam was not the culprit in the bombings.

"We know that these people act in the name of Islam, but we also know that the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims, here and abroad, are decent and law-abiding people who abhor this act of terrorism every bit as much as we do," he said Thursday.

That message was underscored by Muslims on the streets.

"Many Muslims are British. They have lived here for years. What happens to London happens to them," said Suraiya Zammath, a Bangladeshi woman visiting relatives in London. "This should not be singled out as 'Islamic terrorists.' That destabilizes the community."

Abdul Mukith, a 37-year-old supermarket worker in Brick Lane, the heart of London's Bangladeshi community, agreed.

"What's religion got to do with it?" he asked. "I'm bloody Muslim, and I'm afraid to go into the city" just like anyone else in the aftermath of the attacks.

Still, some feared a backlash. The Muslim Council of Britain said it had been deluged with hate e-mails, which caused its server to crash late Thursday. Though it was up and running Friday, the council said it was still getting a steady stream of vitriolic missives.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said Friday that police were aware of one or two "very minor incidents" involving backlash against Muslims, but he didn't elaborate.

He said that so far, "Britain with its liberal and welcoming approach to people is taking this in its stride. I'm very proud of that."

Representatives of several religious faiths held a silent prayer vigil Friday in a street near Aldgate subway station, where seven people died.

"There is a worry, but I think we can overcome this because we have been working with all the communities together," said Muhammad Abdul Bari, chairman of the East London Mosque.

"As Muslims, as British citizens, as Londoners, we are confident nothing will happen to us. We have to face it with resilience and with confidence."

But Shafi feared he and other Muslims would endure animosity in the coming days and weeks.

"I'm a practicing Muslim, I've got a beard. After 9/11 people called me bin Laden," he said. "But I was born and brought up here, and I don't consider myself anything but British."

[Xenophon450]

if the Muslims were running the show theyde burn down the Churches or maybe set em on fire and mow down anyone who runs out. The only thing they respect is force, because its all there 7th century minds can comprehend. Thats why Genghis Khan was so successful against them.

[sheik yerbouty]

"Some people ask why? I ask, why not?"

[zerosix]

Seeing as how these people choose to live in democratic and free countries to experience freedom, democracy, right to "worship as they choose" but fail to condemn what many Muslims do and worse yet, plan and fund death to innocents to further the writings of their "Allah" ala Mohammad, no longer entitles any of them to continue to their lives in these countries that have given them the freedoms they despise and fear those of us who now fear, suspect and loathe them for those views. They "fear" a backlash well my comment to any of these crocodile tears is - Boo Hoo.

[Americanexpat]

"This should not be singled out as "Islamic terrorists.' 'That destabilizes the community."

SOB's are always in denial.

[wingsof liberty]

People condemning the attacks at Friday prayers is not enough. The imams need to condemn them publicly, since its the imams teachings that breed the hatred in the first place. Also the Brits would be wise to close down all Mosques practicing extreme Islam or Whahbbism

[Spiff]

Muslims Crowding London's Mosques Say They Fear Backlash in Aftermath of Bombings

Good! They should! And until they turn over those among them who have been involved in terrorism they should face a backlash. They know who they are, they're just not telling the authorities. We want names, we want evidence, we want heads to roll.

[Frank_Discussion]

Boo-FREEKIN-Hoo!

[mlc9852]

I know the feeling...

[k2blader]

Ahhh, I see. I agree the IRA are terrorists but am skeptical about their being Christians. When did they last attack London? I find it hard to believe no Christians were outraged about it.

[mlc9852]

Hey, they didn't behead her so what is she complaining about?

[Safetgiver]

I remember plenty of marches by Londoners, Belfast and Ulster marches decrying the IRA. There plenty of informers on both sides. Where are the informers, collaboraters on the MOE-Ham-Head side,HMMMM?

[JimSEA]

The newscaster updating us on the great backlash against the British Muslim Community:

"Again today, like yesterday Nothing Happened, no one demonstrated against Islam, there were no riots, the British people continue to behave in a highly civilized manner."

[adam_az]

news.bbc.co.uk/2/ hi/england/2252361.stm

Thursday, 12 September, 2002, 08:12 GMT 09:12 UK

Hard liners call Bin Laden 'hero'

The door to the mosque was guarded by some youths

Hard-line Muslims attending a north London mosque for a controversial conference marking the 11 September attacks have described Osama Bin Laden as a "hero".

They also warned that if Britain were on the "agenda" it "would see suicide bombings everywhere".

The conference, at the Finsbury Park mosque, was organised by al-Muhajiroun, whose supporters hung banners from the building, calling for Britain to be turned into an Islamic state.

Entitled September 11: A Towering Day in History, some of Britain's most radical Muslim clerics were meeting to discuss topics including the "positive outcomes" of the attacks.

[cajun-jack]

Exactly correct!!!!

Kill them before they kill us!!!

You don't sit idly by and let roaches take over your home and with all this "religion of peace" BS that is exactly what most of the world is doing.

Stomp 'em!!! Stomp 'em so hard and severely that they will crawl back under the rock they slithered out from under.

[TheForceOfOne]

Excellent Smithers

[BibChr]

All of Britain's major Muslim groups condemned the bombings

What a better title and focus that would have been.

Dan
Biblical Christianity BLOG

[Humvee]

A little fear can go a long way. Maybe it will stimulate some cooperation. The enemy needs to be dealt with ruthlessly and mohammedans need to prove they are not fellow travellers.

[junaid]

"I agree the IRA are terrorists but am skeptical about their being Christians."

If one substituted 'Jihadists' for 'IRA' and 'Muslims' for 'Christians' then couldn't Muslims say the same thing?

[Man50D]

The article below confirms your statement. It was written Juse of 2002 by a Syrian born Islamic Scholar.

Islamic Scholar Warns U.S. of 'Two-Faced' Muslims