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Arabs fear post-bombing backlash

Arabs fear post-bombing backlash

DUBAI – Arab newspapers on Friday urged Britain not to turn against Arabs and Muslims after bloody bomb attacks in London blamed on al Qaeda Islamist militants.

While all editorials condemned the onslaught, some linked it to Britain’s part in the Iraq invasion or its backing for a US-declared “war on terror”, which, they said, ignores the injustice of occupation fuelling militancy in the Middle East. The Friday prayer preacher in Teheran said Britain, which has said Thursday’s attacks bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda, should remember that Osama bin Laden’s group was a US creation.Beirut’s English-language Daily Star predicted that Muslims would suffer more discrimination after the carnage in London.”In spite of the fact that all acts of ‘Islamic’ terrorism blatantly contradict Islamic teachings, such acts serve to further distort the image of Muslims and Islam,” it said.”The stupidity which thought and planned these cowardly and immoral operations has succeeded, once more, in expanding the circle of enemies against Arabs, Muslims and Islam,” said an editorial in the London-based pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.Saudi Arabia’s mufti, or top religious official, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz al-Sheikh, said the bombers violated Islam.”The explosions in London …targeted the faithful as a whole, and this has no basis in Islam.It is forbidden by our religion.”- Nampa-ReutersThe Friday prayer preacher in Teheran said Britain, which has said Thursday’s attacks bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda, should remember that Osama bin Laden’s group was a US creation.Beirut’s English-language Daily Star predicted that Muslims would suffer more discrimination after the carnage in London.”In spite of the fact that all acts of ‘Islamic’ terrorism blatantly contradict Islamic teachings, such acts serve to further distort the image of Muslims and Islam,” it said.”The stupidity which thought and planned these cowardly and immoral operations has succeeded, once more, in expanding the circle of enemies against Arabs, Muslims and Islam,” said an editorial in the London-based pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.Saudi Arabia’s mufti, or top religious official, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz al-Sheikh, said the bombers violated Islam.”The explosions in London …targeted the faithful as a whole, and this has no basis in Islam.It is forbidden by our religion.”- Nampa-Reuters

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