London bomber says motivated by Iraq war, not religion

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A would-be London bomber arrested by Italian police has told investigators that he and three fellows were motivated by the Iraq war and not by religious fervor, denying any link to Al-Qaeda network.

“We met each other at a muscle-building class in Notting Hill and Muktar (Said Ibrahim) showed us some DVDs with images of the war in Iraq, especially women and children killed by American and British soldiers,” Osman Hussain, suspected of attempting to blow up commuters in west London on July 21, was quoted as saying by Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper Sunday, July 31.

Hussain said films on the atrocities committed by US and British occupation soldiers in Iraq helped to foster the group’s “political conviction that it is necessary to give a signal, to do something.”

The Italian Interior Ministry confirmed that the quotes from Hussain’s interrogation in La Repubblica were authentic but declined to comment on the source of the leaks, reported the Independent Sunday.

Islam Online, 31 July 2005

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Campaign against Hizb ut-Tahrir continues

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Independent on Sunday makes its contribution to the ongoing campaign to associate Hizb ut-Tahrir with the London bombings. The “authorities” quoted in the article are Zeyno Baran and Ariel Cohen, two hardline right-wingers in the US who are associated with such objective sources of information as National Review Online and The Counterterrorism Blog.

And in an interview with the Sunday Times General Musharraf repeats his call for a ban on the organisation.

Faith hate hotline launched as attacks on Muslims increase

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The police are to launch an emergency hotline to report “faith hate” attacks after a steep rise in abuse and assaults on Muslims in London in the wake of the suicide bombings.

Police reports seen by The Independent on Sunday show the number of attacks in the capital rose to more than 20 a day after the first bombings on 7 July. The police have recorded 230 religious hatred offences in the past three weeks.

After the first blasts and the attempted bombings two weeks later, racist attacks more than doubled to a peak of nearly 60 a day. The police have logged more than 800 racist crimes since the first bombings, reversing a long downward trend.

Somali Muslim women, who tend to wear long robes and hijab head-coverings, have been singled out after it emerged several of the suspected bombers arrested last week are of East African origin. One woman had her hijab torn off.

The new hotline will be set up tomorrow by the Met’s Assistant Commissioner Tariq Ghaffur. Mr Ghaffur, the most senior Asian and Muslim policeman, said there had been a “very substantial increase” in faith crimes in London.

There had also been an increase in the severity of attacks. “What used to be abuse has now escalated into assault. What was minor damage could escalate into a lot more serious damage. I think that is trend across the country,” he said.

Mr Ghaffur will ask people to report incidents to the hotline because he fears some ethnic and religious minorities could “retreat” and not report incidents to the police. “Quite clearly, we fear there will be an escalation,” he said.

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Crick hits out at call for ‘Britishness’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bernard CrickThe UK government’s former chief adviser on integrating immigrants into British society has attacked attempts to denounce multiculturalism in favour of promoting “Britishness” in the wake of the London bombings.

Professor Sir Bernard Crick, who until his resignation three months ago was chair of the government Advisory Board on Naturalisation and Integration, said he was “pretty pissed off” over comments condemning multiculturalism made by Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, and the former Home Secretary David Blunkett. He added that any attempt to promote Britishness in its place could make Muslims feel threatened in the current climate.

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‘Resist this culture of anti-British segregation’ – Observer columnist

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“I found myself resenting the idea that one group of people had removed themselves from the values that I admire about Britain, regardless of the level of tolerance and generosity offered to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Not only have some Muslims wilfully detached themselves from this great and ancient democracy, but they are actually opposed to it….

“It’s difficult to say how liberal democracy persuades such a large number of people to share its values, but I do know that we have to examine the processes of segregation which have been allowed to grow in the last few decades. For which reason I support – and urge others to do so – Ruth Kelly’s backing for Denbigh High School in Luton, which is fighting a case against a young woman who wishes to wear strict Islamic dress as her human right…. let’s be candid, we have to look after the things which make us a single, coherent society.”

The liberal press joins the assault on multiculturalism.

Observer, 31 July 2005

Imam beaten unconscious

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Dulwich Islamic Centre’s Imam became yet another victim of a vicious Islamophobic attack on Saturday July 16.

The driver of a white van tailed Muhammed Haq as he cycled to Asr (late afternoon prayers) at about 7 pm. The driver pulled over in Lordship Lane, Dulwich, south London, and repeatedly punched Haq shattering his cheekbone. Haq lost consciousness while the assailant fled.

Despite the pain, the 27-year-old spoke of the attack.

Speaking to The Muslim News Haq said, “I was on my bicycle when I noticed a white van beside me. It pulled over in the middle of the street and blocked my path. I assumed he wanted directions. He said nothing – but the next moment he was hitting me. He started screaming ‘Al-Qa’idah’ at me whilst punching me.”

Haq then blacked out but said his bruises indicate he was hit after he lost consciousness.

He is due for surgery on his cheek on Monday, July 25.

Police quizzed a 20-year-old man on July 18, on suspicion of racist assault. A spokesperson for the police confirmed the arrest to The Muslim News, “William Gregory, aged 20, appeared before magistrates and was charged with Religiously Aggravated Assault on July 19.”

Worshippers at the Northcross Road Centre were also singled out on the day of the London bomb attacks when yobs dumped pork outside – a grave insult to Muslims.

Haq, who led prayers for the London bomb victims, said, “We had just finished prayers for those who died when somebody spotted the pork.” He described it as the work “of mindless idiots”.

Chairman of the Centre, Hussain Malik, said, “We utterly condemn the despicable attacks on London and we utterly condemn these criminal attacks on our mosque.”

Muslim News, 29 July 2005

Minister backs school hijab appeal

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, is to back the appeal of a school found guilty of discriminating against a student for wearing strict Islamic dress.

Shabina Begum, 16, claimed a victory for all Muslims in March when she won a landmark Court of Appeal ruling that Denbigh High School in Luton had unlawfully excluded her for flouting its uniform policy by wearing a jilbab, which leaves only the hands and face exposed.

Miss Begum said at the time of the ruling that the schools decision had been caused by an atmosphere in which Islam was a target for vilification in the name of the War on Terror.

The Court of Appeal said that Miss Begums human rights had been infringed because she had been denied the right to education and to manifest her religious beliefs.

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