Muslims in Britain have called for a show of unity in the wake of the failed terrorist attacks. By not joining with them, we risk a disjointed society.
The Failed Bombings
The recent attempts to bomb London and destroy Glasgow airport brought Muslim extremism back into the spotlight, just when it looked as though it had begun to dim. Many people were quick to point the finger at al-Qaeda and the Muslim community and subsequent police investigations uncovered the fundamentalist link and have arrested and charged a number of trainee Muslim doctors.
The 2005 Attacks
Two years ago, London was the scene of a deadly organised group of bombers who simultaneously detonated bombs on the London underground system and on a bus. Over 50 people were killed and around 700 more were injured.
Muslims joined together with other faiths to condemn these attacks. Peace marches were organised, prayers were said and many Muslims rejected the idea that the bombers linked themselves to Islam. As different bloggers have written, blowing people up and causing destruction is not jihad; instead, it brings shame on the name of Islam.
Muslim Call for Unity
However, the majority of Muslims are unhappy at being associated with the terror attacks and have instead called for a show of unity against them. Britain’s Muslim leaders condemned the failed car-bomb attacks on London and Glasgow and distanced themselves from such extreme actions. The head of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Muhammad Bari, chairman of the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, condemned would-be terrorists, saying that "Those who seek to deliberately kill or maim innocent people are the enemies of all of us…"There is no cause whatsoever that could possibly justify such barbarity." Urging all citizens, regardless of faith, to help police and security services, he added, "They deserve full support and cooperation from each sector of society, including Muslims."
Worshippers at the East London mosque were appalled at the attempts at indiscriminate killing at the weekend, said its community relations officer Ehsan Hannan.
The Fear of Islamophobia
Some people are worried that speaking out about these bombings will appear to bracket them as Islamophobic, but this can’t be further from the truth.
Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. It doesn’t condone violent aggression and murder and these actions don’t constitute jihad, or holy war. Muslims will say that suicide bombers and terrorists are extremists but aren’t necessarily Muslim. Instead, they twist the religious teachings out of proportion and so act without real religious guidance.
Far from discriminating against Muslims, speaking out against terror helps to show that everyone is working together for the good of the community. It’s only by allowing these terrorists to get away with it or by labelling all Muslims the same that the community becomes split.
