CAIRO,
July 8, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – With fears of a backlash against
the Muslim minority substantiated by hundreds of hate emails, the
Islamic Human Rights Commission has given British Muslims a set of
safety tips to avoid reprisal attacks following the London bombings.
"IHRC
is advising Muslims not to travel or go out unless necessary, and is
particularly concerned that women should not go out alone in this
climate," the commission said Thursday, July 7, on its Web site.
"In
the event of being attacked, IHRC urges victims not to retaliate and
to report the matter to the police and appropriate authorities."
At
least 50 people were killed and 700 others were wounded when four
blasts four bombs tore through three underground trains and a red
double-decker bus during rush hour Thursday.
The
Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Muslim Association of Britain
(MAB), the two main representatives of the sizable minority, have
vehemently denounced the blasts and offered all possible assistance in
helping the emergency services.
While
charging that the perpetrators of the attacks acted "in the name
of Islam," British Prime Minister Tony Blair maintained Thursday
that "the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims here and
abroad are decent and law abiding people who abhor terrorism every bit
as much as we do".
Fears
of reprisals have been running high among British Muslims especially
after the MCB received more than 1,000 e-mails containing threats and
messages of hatred immediately after the blasts.
Safety
Tips
Following
the attacks, the IHRC issued a series of safety tips for British
Muslims to avoid acts of harassment and discrimination, including:
•
Be vigilant
•
Always be aware of your surroundings
•
Travel in groups
•
Do not open suspect packages
•
Monitor access to car parks and other enclosures under your control.
Report suspicious vehicles to the police.
•
Review security arrangements regularly to ensure they are adequate for
any event you intend to host.
•
Ask your local crime prevention officer to carry out a crime
prevention survey of your building.
•
Encourage staff to take security seriously and establish regular
training for them. Ensure they are aware of contingency plans and
procedures for the building. Make guidelines readily available to all
staff including ‘out of doors’ house keeping staff.
•
Consider having a fire safety review carried out by the London Fire
and Emergency planning Authority.
•
Consider installing CCTV [closed-circuit television]. If you do have
CCTV ensure it records properly & images are of good quality.
•
Report all harassment, whether it is verbal, physical or
psychological, to the police and the IHRC
•
If a satisfactory response is not received from the police, contact
the IHRC
•
Liaise with the police, and get advice on how to best tackle the
problem of harassment.
