Times, UK

Thatcher speaks out on terror BY JIM MCCUE, JOANNA BALE AND PHILIP WEBSTER BARONESS THATCHER has criticised the response of Muslim leaders to the attacks on America.

She told The Times: “The people who brought down those towers were Muslims, and Muslims must stand up and say that that is not the way of Islam. Passengers on those planes were told that they were going to die, and there were children on board. They must say that it was disgraceful. I have not heard enough condemnation from Muslim priests.”

It was the former Prime Minister’s first comment since the attacks on September 11.

On dealing with the security threat, she said that there would have to be “more training of people for the Armed Forces in response to this rank cruelty”, and that “we must go on and on resisting terror”. She added: “I hope more people leaving our forces will go into the police.”

British Muslim leaders said that her remarks on religion were ill-informed and inflammatory. Many blamed the media for the impression that she had obtained, saying that it had concentrated on extremist Muslim clerics such as Abu Hamza al-Masri and Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, and failed to air the views of the majority of moderate Muslims.

The Church of England also expressed surprise at Lady Thatcher’s remarks, saying that as far as it was concerned there had been a “rapid and vocal” condemnation by Muslim leaders.

Lady Thatcher, who was guest of honour at the reopening of Dr Johnson’s house in London, said that she had not been in touch with Mr Blair in the past three weeks, adding that former Prime Ministers should be careful about offering advice in any other than a public forum.

The Conservative Party declined to comment on Lady Thatcher’s remarks.

Zaki Badawi, principal of the Muslim College, said of Lady Thatcher’s remarks: “The Friday after the attacks, every mosque in Britain, except two run by Hamza and Bakri — who we regard as charlatans — made their main sermons a condemnation of the attacks. We have also written numerous articles, letters and given comments to that effect.”

Dr Badawi added: “Mrs Thatcher has not been well informed, but perhaps it is because our comments have not been sufficiently reported.”

Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament, expressed shock at Lady Thatcher’s views. Dr Siddiqui said: “She is completely out of touch. All the major Muslim organisations immediately condemned the attack.”

Iqbal Sacranie, chairman of Muslim Aid, said every Muslim who heard such opinions would feel physically hurt. “It is outrageous for her to relate this act to Muslims. Would she have mentioned Christians or Jews if they had been identified as behind such an act? I don’t think so.

“We have all been on record as saying that this hatred for America, when you look at the root of it, is because of its foreign policy. However we must all emphasise that the unfairness of that policy cannot ever, in any way, justify the atrocious acts.”

Syed Aziz Pasha, general secretary of the Union of Muslim Organisations, said that he was disappointed at Lady Thatcher after campaigning for her. “The chairman of our Board of Ulema (Muslim scholars) issued a very clear statement condemning the terrorism. Islam is a religion of peace and I don’t know why she doesn’t know this.”

Dr Pasha added that he had reservations about the evidence that the attacks were the work of Muslim fanatics.

A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said that it had received many messages from Muslim leaders condemning the terrorists. He added: “Our bishops in areas with large Muslim populations have, however, been concerned that some of the reporting has been slightly skewed.”

Denis MacShane, the Foreign Office Minister, said that British Muslims would be recruited to explain British lifestyles and Western thought to communities in their countries of origin. Organisations such as the British Council and the BBC World Service would be used to try to break down the resentment of the West in Muslim societies.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001