Julian Coppens
On July 17, 1500 people rallied in London in solidarity with the victims of the July 7 London bombings and in opposition to the rising racism and Islamophobia that has resulted.
Since the bombings, the Muslim community has been subject to numerous racist attacks, including many cases of violent assault and verbal abuse in the street and attacks on mosques, including racist graffiti, smashed windows and arson. One man has died as a result of a racist attack in Nottingham.
PM Tony Blair has helped to fan the flames of racism. He has denied there is any connection between the London bombings and the war in Iraq and instead laid the responsibility for the bombings at the feet of the Muslim community. The government and the media continue to repeat the mantra that to avoid further bomb attacks the Muslim community must "put its house in order".
The rally on Sunday began the fight-back against the media and Labour's racist response to the bombings. There were numerous speakers from the Muslim community, some from Leeds, including Dr Assam Tamimi of the Muslim Association of Britain. Right-wing commentators and Labour MPs have said that Tamimi and the MAB should be investigated by the authorities for its views. He was not invited to a meeting between Muslim "leaders" and the government on Wednesday to discuss the Muslim community's role in preventing further bombings.
All the speakers condemned the bombings and expressed sympathy for the families, and disagreed with the government's claims that the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan had ntohing to do with the bombings.
Dr Tamimi called on Muslim leaders not to bow to pressure: "I am not responsible for July 7. I condemn it. I did not make those boys angry. I did not send the troops to Iraq. We shouldn't feel guilty. Who is the guilty one? Tony Blair!"
Lindsay German, the convenor of the Stop the War coalition, said: "The government is saying that the Muslim community should put their house in order, but we have to ask the government to put its own house in order.
"The only way to end the bombings is to withdraw from Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. When we have justice around the world we will have peace as well."
Warsana al Tikriti, a young woman from the MAB in Leeds, said: "I feel we are being branded as terrorists. But the bombs did not discriminate [on the basis of] faith and colour. Bush and Blair's war on terror has not made the world safer. It has brought more hate and bloodshed. This will only rise unless policies are changed."
Respect MP George Galloway ended the rally with an expression of solidarity and unity with persecuted Muslims. "Do not believe the ministers, the MPs and the stooge journalists who say they see no connection. They are lying to us all over again. They are trying to fool us.
"The war on terror has left the world in danger and turmoil. If the witch-hunters want to get Azzam Tamimi, they will have to get through me and the anti-war movement first.
"We will stand shoulder to shoulder telling the truth. Only the truth will get us out of the terrible morass into which the liars have put us."
From Green Left Weekly, July 27, 2005.
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