Stop Becoming Suicide Bombers

CHANNEL 4

Our equal responsibility
Monday 25 July 2005, by Samira Ahmed

Prominent Muslim cleric Professor Tariq Ramadan believes that both Muslim and British society need to act like ’responsible parents’ towards young Muslims to stop them becoming suicide bombers.

The Geneva-based scholar told Channel 4 News:

"We have to understand that these young muslims are the sons of two parents - one of which is the muslim community and the other is British society and they both need to take responsibility for their children."

The Egyptian-born cleric has been invited to London by British police to speak at an Islamic conference partly funded by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Many in the British establishment consider him a moderate voice, and a proponent of a ’middle way’ but he has also courted controversy, with some newspapers calling him "an apologist for terrorism".

He said: "The Muslim community should face up to its responsibility and decide which kind of Islamic education, which kind of discourse, which kind of connection we are making between what is going on here and the international scene.

"We need to make it clear that to help the oppressed people in Palestine and Iraq is to be a committed citizen in Britain, not to kill.

"The other parent is British society; these are children of this society. Let us speak about social integration, social policy, but also how we speak about these people in the mainstream school system.

"Do we value their presence? Do we see them as enriching the education and social structure or do we see them as a problem?

"We have to think about our shared and equal responsibility, when one kid goes stray within a family you don’t blame the mother or the father - they are both equally responsible.

On the bombings at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt recently, he said: "Once again we have to condemn that, this is totally against Islam. We don’t know who is behind it once again and after what happened here in London we have to understand that this is a global attack.

"As Muslims we have to strongly, with no hesitation, absolutely condemn what is going on."

Police are appealing from British muslims in helping to identify potential terrorists and targets, but Prof Ramadan thinks members of the community are in the dark themselves.

He said: "From what we understand from within the muslim community is that these people are on the margins of Islamic society. They have a specific agenda, an ideology promoting this ’us versus them’ theory and this perception of a clash of civilisations - trying to make people believe it is muslims against the west.

"All this for us is wrong, it is against our Islamic message.

"They are already underground, they are so well hidden that the community, even their own families do not know what they are up to.

"Terrorism and attacks are going to be part of our future I am sure and we need to stop it together. Muslims cannot do it on their own as most of them do not know what is going on in the margins of their own community."

Source : Channel 4

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Another article from News Telegraph

Don’t be defensive about being British citizens, cleric tells moderate Muslims

By Duncan Gardham
(Filed: 25/07/2005)

Moderate Muslims meeting in central London yesterday were told they must learn more about British culture while outside National Front extremists organised a flag waving demonstration.

More than 200 NF supporters proclaimed "Britain for the British" while a similar number of police prevented them from approaching the mosque in Regent’s Park the moderate Swiss Muslim Dr Tariq Ramadan addressed the meeting.

Controversy surrounded Dr Ramadan’s visit after it was revealed he was denied entry to the US after his visa was withdrawn. However Dr Ramadan, who is of Egyptian origin and lives in Paris, has since been asked to reapply by the US Government. Speaking to several hundred Muslims on the theme of the "middle way", Dr Ramadan asked younger members of the audience: "Which path will you take?"

He said: "Islamic education is not only about the Koran, it should also be about the environment. It’s not just about what we have to promote but also about British history, culture, literature and what we know about the people." He added: "Not everything that comes from our culture is good and not everything that comes from British culture is bad."

Dr Ramadan called on his audience to be more ready to listen to non-Muslims and told them "to stop being on the defensive about being British citizens".

He said: "We have to deal with mistrust. We need mutual trust and knowledge and to return to the Koran. Your brother is not only Muslim, but also non-Muslim."

Dr Ramadan called for an independent inquiry into the shooting at Stockwell Tube station but urged Muslims not to add fuel to the flames: "Our response is to say clearly, altogether we are fighting the same enemy and we are all in the same boat."

The conference was organised by Da’watul Islam, an East London-based charity. Its spokesman Abdullah Mohammed said the meeting aimed to promote "community cohesion and ways of dealing with extremism".

He said: "We have invited these speakers because they are moderates, progressive and well-respected. We need to challenge extremist groups.

"It’s very easy for young people to get frustrated by unemployment, drugs, education and poor housing, and to feel their views are being neglected.

"It is then extremists take the opportunity to say society does not accept them. We are trying to take positive steps, we need to integrate, we can’t continue to isolate ourselves, but we can’t change everything today, this is just beginning to open the door."

Source : News Telegraph