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Muslim voices on the bomb attacks
Some British Muslims fear they may be branded as terrorists - in spite of the fact that none of the people arrested by detectives investigating the failed car bombings at Glasgow airport appears to be British.
ABEDA TELADIA, 24, TEACHER, ESSEX
"As a veiled British Muslim woman I don't feel safe. When I walk out on the street people look at me as though I have committed a crime, whereas I completely disagree with what these men did.
"There is never any justification for killing innocent human beings, yet myself and my husband suffer verbal abuse from ignorant people who wish to paint all Muslims with the same brush.
"I just want people to know that I don't wear Muslim dress to scare people, it's just to cover me - it's not a symbol of aggression or terrorism."
OSAMA SAEED, MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF BRITAIN, SCOTLAND
"There have been some low-level incidents up until now - you expect it from a minority.
"But I think there's a recognition that Muslims have been as bewildered as anyone about this.
"And conceivably there's only two things that we can do - the first is to make it clear that there's no theological justification for any of this, and we've been doing that for years and will continue to do so.
"And the second thing is to urge the community that if they do see anything suspicious to report it, and to support the police."
SHAZMA AHMED, NORTH WEST LONDON
"It is disgusting. Why would anybody want to hurt innocent lives and endanger innocent people, surely the West is one of the few places where people from all cultures are accepted, welcomed and can live their lives in any way which they please.
"So why then abuse that right and use it against the system that gave it to you in the first place?
"Hard-working and law-abiding citizens do not deserve to feel threatened where they live. I have never felt so unsafe.
"I work in the West End of London and was even planning on going out that night, although I enjoy my job I constantly feel in danger and scared."
MOHAMMED SHAFIQ, RAMADAN FOUNDATION
"Foreign policy is a contributing factor to Britain being an increased risk. That's not my view, that's the view expressed by senior politicians across the board.
"But today is about saying to people out there... don't demonise minority communities, let's come together, let's hold hands, let's support each other and only together can it be defeated - because the terrorists want to divide us."
ABBAS SHAH, SHEFFIELD
"This has nothing to do with immigration - the 7/7 bombers were born and brought up in this country.
"I do not feel safe in this country. On the one hand I have to worry about terrorists' attacks, and on the other hand I have to worry about having my house being raided on the guesswork of being a terrorist.
"To top all this, the foreign policy of this country targets my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters in Iraq and Afghanistan to mention a few."
NAVEED AKHTAR, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER
"A lot has been done since 7/7 within the community, in a very quiet way, to work with them to get them to change their mind, to move them away from those extreme positions.
"So in order for something like this to have happened, when I was looking at the message boards and a lot of websites today, there was a sense of surprise."
MAJID ZIA, LONDON
"I personally believe that we as a nation need to stand united against the greater threat of terror.
"I believe that the Muslim community and the general public, both of whom are feeling unsafe from these attacks, need to stand united against all forms of terrorism.
"Also we need to look at the root causes of terrorism to eliminate this dangerous threat as indeed there are many factors why this may be taking place."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6261988.stm
Some British Muslims fear they may be branded as terrorists - in spite of the fact that none of the people arrested by detectives investigating the failed car bombings at Glasgow airport appears to be British.
ABEDA TELADIA, 24, TEACHER, ESSEX
"As a veiled British Muslim woman I don't feel safe. When I walk out on the street people look at me as though I have committed a crime, whereas I completely disagree with what these men did.
"There is never any justification for killing innocent human beings, yet myself and my husband suffer verbal abuse from ignorant people who wish to paint all Muslims with the same brush.
"I just want people to know that I don't wear Muslim dress to scare people, it's just to cover me - it's not a symbol of aggression or terrorism."
OSAMA SAEED, MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF BRITAIN, SCOTLAND
"There have been some low-level incidents up until now - you expect it from a minority.
"But I think there's a recognition that Muslims have been as bewildered as anyone about this.
"And conceivably there's only two things that we can do - the first is to make it clear that there's no theological justification for any of this, and we've been doing that for years and will continue to do so.
"And the second thing is to urge the community that if they do see anything suspicious to report it, and to support the police."
SHAZMA AHMED, NORTH WEST LONDON
"It is disgusting. Why would anybody want to hurt innocent lives and endanger innocent people, surely the West is one of the few places where people from all cultures are accepted, welcomed and can live their lives in any way which they please.
"So why then abuse that right and use it against the system that gave it to you in the first place?
"Hard-working and law-abiding citizens do not deserve to feel threatened where they live. I have never felt so unsafe.
"I work in the West End of London and was even planning on going out that night, although I enjoy my job I constantly feel in danger and scared."
MOHAMMED SHAFIQ, RAMADAN FOUNDATION
"Foreign policy is a contributing factor to Britain being an increased risk. That's not my view, that's the view expressed by senior politicians across the board.
"But today is about saying to people out there... don't demonise minority communities, let's come together, let's hold hands, let's support each other and only together can it be defeated - because the terrorists want to divide us."
ABBAS SHAH, SHEFFIELD
"This has nothing to do with immigration - the 7/7 bombers were born and brought up in this country.
"I do not feel safe in this country. On the one hand I have to worry about terrorists' attacks, and on the other hand I have to worry about having my house being raided on the guesswork of being a terrorist.
"To top all this, the foreign policy of this country targets my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters in Iraq and Afghanistan to mention a few."
NAVEED AKHTAR, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER
"A lot has been done since 7/7 within the community, in a very quiet way, to work with them to get them to change their mind, to move them away from those extreme positions.
"So in order for something like this to have happened, when I was looking at the message boards and a lot of websites today, there was a sense of surprise."
MAJID ZIA, LONDON
"I personally believe that we as a nation need to stand united against the greater threat of terror.
"I believe that the Muslim community and the general public, both of whom are feeling unsafe from these attacks, need to stand united against all forms of terrorism.
"Also we need to look at the root causes of terrorism to eliminate this dangerous threat as indeed there are many factors why this may be taking place."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6261988.stm
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