LONDON,
July 8, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The Muslim
Council of Britain reportedly received more than 1,000 emails
containing threats and messages of hate immediately after the heinous
London blasts, raising deep concerns for the sizeable minority in
Britain and prompting a call for unity by British media Friday, July
8.
The
Guardian warned against the feared
backlash in a lengthy article titled, "The evil people who
planned and carried out this want to divide us as a people".
The
paper reported a meeting Thursday night by the Muslim Safety Forum
(MSF), where top police officers and representatives of Muslim
communities met to discuss the "backlash issue". The MSF
holds regular meetings to discuss the policing of terrorism and other
issues.
"This
is the biggest test for community relations. The years of planning, of
ifs and buts - now the time has come. Our concern is of the potential
backlash. We have already received numerous reports of spitting,
verbal abuse and attacks," the paper quoted Azad Ali, chair of
the MSF, as saying.
According
to the Guardian, advice from the Association of Chief Police
Officers on how to counter any backlash was sent to police forces
across the country, within hours of the attacks.
Forces
are supposed to make contact with "vulnerable communities",
in this case Muslims, and react quickly and robustly to incidents of
hate crime, it added.
"There
are two fundamental aims, to keep Muslims safe, then to ensure there
is the maximum chance that those with information about the planning
of the attacks have the confidence and trust in the police to come
forward."
Unity
The
issue of the unity of British people, including all religious and
ethnic groups making up the fabric of a diverse society, could easily
be detected in the statements and reactions by the media and British
officials.
It
was clear in the statement by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London,
who issued a strong condemnation of the attacks.
"I
want to say one thing: This was not a terrorist attack against the
mighty or the powerful, it is not aimed at presidents or prime
ministers, it was aimed at ordinary working-class Londoners. That
isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith - it's mass murder.
We know what the objective is. They seek to divide London."
The
notion of unity was stressed by British Muslims themselves.
"Yesterday
(Wednesday) we celebrated as Londoners, euphoric that our great city
had secured the London games. Today (Thursday) we watch aghast as we
witness a series of brutal attacks upon our capital city. We were
together in our celebration; we must remain together in our time of
crisis," Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Secretary General of the MCB, said
Thursday, adding the British people, irrespective of their religious
and ethnic backgrounds, should remain united at the time of crisis.
Backlash
Fear
 |
|
UK police deployed to protect mosques for fear of hate-driven indiscriminate attacks.
|
However,
the feared backlash against British Muslims began almost immediately
as news of the bomb explosions spread, according to the Guardian.
"The
Muslim Council of Britain received more than 1,000 emails containing
threats and messages of hate, several reading: 'It's now war on
Muslims throughout Britain,'" it added.
Some
Muslims were drinking tea and smoking water-pipes, others were glued
to TV screens switched to Al-Jazeera, but they all shared a fear of a
backlash after deadly blasts rocked London, according to Reuters.
It
added that many in London's Edgware Road -- home to scores of
Lebanese, Iraqi and Egyptian businesses -- condemned Thursday's
attacks that killed at least 37 people and wounded around 700, but
feared they would be victims of a knee-jerk revenge reaction.
"The
whole world now will point at me and say I am an Arab and Muslim
terrorist," Reuters quoted as saying Zakaria Koubissi, a
29-year-old manager of a Lebanese restaurant.
Warning
against the dangers of indiscriminate backlash attacks, Sadiq Khan,
London's only Muslim MP, told the Guardian that it was unwise and
foolish to speculate who may be responsible for this outrageous and
savage attack, adding it is important that no one suffers from any
backlash.
"The
reality is that, when we see the victims, there could be people who
are doubly victims, of the atrocity and potentially of a backlash. The
kind of people who live in Aldgate East and Kings Cross include many
of Muslim faith.
"We
know from what happened after September 11 that there were incidents
of reprisals against visible Muslims. Everyone needs to be vigilant to
ensure that nothing like that happens this time. No one who follows
the true teachings of Islam could condone these outrages."
He
added that the borough commander in his constituency, Tooting, had
already deployed high-visibility policing around mosques and schools.
Muslims
arriving for afternoon prayers at mosques across the country expressed
their outrage and sadness at the attacks, and said they feared the
impact they would have on relations between them and the wider
community, according to the paper.
A
spokesman for Finsbury Park mosque told the British daily he
understood people's frustrations but was quick to condemn those
responsible for the attacks.
"What
happened today is very, very sad for everybody, Muslims and
non-Muslims. I truly hope that whoever is responsible for these
terrible actions is caught and given justice."
Read
Also…
