In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful.

For Immediate Release

MPAC Expresses Deep Concern Over Terror Plots in London

The Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC, today expresses deep concern over the alleged terror plot in the United Kingdom targeting trans-Atlantic flights from Britain to the United States on Thursday, 10 August, 2006. As the full details of this alleged plot have not become public knowledge, MPAC wishes to make the following statements;  

• MPAC reminds all Nigerians during this sensitive time that plotting to kill innocents is not an Islamic precept nor does Islam allow the use of religion as a weapon in political belligerence. The Qur’an and Prophet Sunnah forbid the use of terrorism for any purpose, regardless of the identity of the aggressors or the nature of their motives. Therefore, all plots and actual acts of violence and killing of innocent people stand to be condemned by MPAC whether those deaths are caused by suicide bombings, aerial bombings, through the barrels of the gun or from laser guided missiles and cluster or precision bombs. Whether committed by individuals or by the State. They are all acts of murder which cannot be justified under any pretext and they serve no purpose but drive a knife at the band that holds us together as one global community.

• MPAC calls on the British government to provide hard evidence of this case to the members of the public and swiftly put the suspects on trial in an open court where their innocence or guilt will be established. Accusing someone in Islam, without conclusive proof, is considered a wrong doing, and so is trial in the media. It may be at the end of all of this, we may find there has been some wrong doing on the part of certain individuals, historical evidence however exists that “false-flag” theatrical operations have been used repeatedly in the past by some Governments and their agencies to vilify and demonize Islam and Muslims. It is with this fact in mind that Muslims, if not others, do not find it difficult to consider this incident a possible propaganda effort to put majority of people back into the ‘Muslims-are-terrorists’ state of mind, as increasing number of people are listening to the voice of the critics of the massacres of Muslims in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

• The media hysteria is certainly on right now as in other incidents, but we must urge for caution and ascertain the true motives behind the alleged plot to fully unmask what is hidden. A time like this requires the media to act as bridges of understanding between faiths and communities.

• A time like this also calls for the world community, irrespective of creed, colour, race or religion to look inward and attempt to fathom why things have gone this wrong; why so much hate for fellow human beings; why so much injustice and double standard. We may find answers if not solution through a careful analysis of some of these issues and events going on in the world today.

Lastly, MPAC calls on the world press to distance itself from the declaration of President Bush that ‘we are certainly at war with Islamic fascists’. This sweeping and reckless generalization, certainly picked up from certain American evangelical Christian groups; groups renowned for their extremist ideologies of hatred against Islam and Muslims, and other pro-War extremists, serves no one any good. Because of President Bush unguided statement, Muslims everywhere must now fully brace themselves up for backlash and increased hostility. Though the suspects may be Muslims by religion (a few of them had recently reverted to Islam in the past few months, thus further shrouding the incident in mystery and confusion), they are equally Europeans and alienation alone can drive otherwise law abiding people to extremism. It is in the light of this possibility that we should consider the wise words of the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu against people like George Bush. Dr John Sentamu, said he did not believe that Islam was the real cause of any terrorist plots. He stated; “Most of them are doing it because they are alienated, because they have been given a vision which is so imaginatively wicked that they believe we can build a better world than actually exists.”

-END- 

Contact:
Disu Kamor
Director of Media & Communications
Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC
e-mail: kamor.disu@mpac-ng.org
website: www.mpac-ng.org