UK Muslims call for crack-down

Sept. 13 --- British Muslims condemn radicals and call upon the Blair government to crackdown on militants living in the UK:

Mohammed Nasim, chairman of the moderate Central Mosque in Birmingham - previously named the Saddam Hussein Mosque in honor of its sponsor - accused the British authorities of "letting ordinary Muslims down by not taking a stronger stance."

Both men want to see arrests and prosecutions of radical Muslims, especially when they publicly spout hatred and make threats.

The government has to do its part and intervene when people cause racial hatred, Mr. Nasim said.

"This group is giving Islam a bad name and the Home Office is letting all Muslims down by refusing to act when it openly incites violence."

Especially when we consider how much of that violence is directed against Muslims who disagree with the militants. Ask the Muslims in Indonesia, India, Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan . . .

(Via On the Third Hand)

UPDATE: Here is an interview with the leader of the Muslim Salafi al-Muhajiroun Movement, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, who explains why it would be permissible to assassinate PM Tony Blair should he be in a Muslim country.

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Gallop Poll on UN, French on Libya

Sept. 10 -- According to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll, U.S. view of U.N. largely negative. Of course, the only thing the UN will be interested in is this:

The dissatisfaction has not led most Americans to want to cut congressional support for the institution: 37% said U.N. funding should be decreased, 50% said it should stay the same and 11% said it should be increased.

But they might want to remember that figure was obtained after the Canal Hotel attack (which would have stimulated sympathy and even hopes that the UN might begin to realize that they too are hated) but before State Secy. Powell sought a new UN resolution and the President's address Sunday evening which restated the challenge to the UN to become more relevant.

There is a solution: the US can refuse to pay for the renovations of the UN building, have NYC condemn the building, and evict the UN.

In other news at the UN front, France is still threatening to veto a proposal to life sanctions on Libya unless they get more money. They are unwilling to accept the consequences of accepting a separate agreement with Libya.

Before the delay was announced, Britain had dared the French to do their worst by promising to put the resolution to a vote. A French veto would scupper a carefully worked out £1.7 billion compensation package for the relatives of 270 people, including 55 Britons, who died when Libyan agents bombed Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988.

The stalemate risked escalating into one of the most damaging disputes to plague UN diplomacy in months.

Angry relatives of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing later denounced France's tactics, complaining after a meeting with Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the French ambassador, that they were being exploited as "hostages".

"We are being used by the French as a lever to extort more money out of the Libyans," said Bob Monetti, who lost his 20-year-old son, Rick, on the Pan Am flight.

There is probably a lofty, transnationalist principle involved, but the French haven't articulated it yet. Or maybe it's just greed.

(USA Today article via Neale News.)

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Islamists in Britain

Sept. 10 -- In the UK, Rallies will highlight 'Magnificent 19' of Sept 11. Excerpts:

The extremist Islamic group al-Muhajiroun is organising four rallies across Britain this week to commemorate what it calls "The Magnificent 19" hijackers who carried out the September 11 atrocities.

Posters and stickers advertising the events have appeared in inner-city areas with large Muslim populations. They carry pictures of the 19 hijackers around a backdrop of the World Trade Centre in flames and a smiling Osama bin Laden. The posters state: "The Magnificent 19 that divided the world on September 11th."

The London rally will be held tomorrow, the second anniversary of the attacks, with the other conferences following over the weekend. Al-Muhajiroun plans 19 speakers, each telling the life story of one of the hijackers.

Abu Omar, the name used by a spokesman for the group, told the BBC this week that the actions of the hijackers were "completely justified" and "quite splendid" and that any Muslim who thought otherwise was an "apostate".

Al-Muhajiroun is viewed with some disdain by many hardline Islamists, but its ability to inflame Muslim youth is a matter for concern for the authorities. Omar Khan Sharif and Asif Hanif, the British suicide bombers who died in Israel in May, both had links with al-Muhajiroun.

The Muslim Council of Britain said it viewed this week's events with "immense dismay" and said they could spark anti-Muslim violence.

"Al-Muhajiroun used to be viewed as harmless clowns but since September 11 they have become much more sinister," said Inayat Bunglawala, an MCB spokesman.

"There have been attacks on our communities, on mosques, on cemeteries. It seems it is almost part of al-Muhajiroun's agenda to promote division and turn people against each other.

"There are 1.6 million Muslims in the UK and more than 1,000 mosques. Al-Muhajiroun is minuscule and has no standing whatsoever in our community."

I don't suppose MCB is planning to hold their own rally denouncing the extremists or some other tangible action that tries to fight those who are "hijacking" their religion? Hard as it may be to do so (and it is hard), moderate Muslims must defend their religion from real attacks from within instead of worrying about possible attacks from without.

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