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London’s Muslims feel public hostility
FT.COM ^ | July 22. 2005 | Lina Saigol

Posted on 07/24/2005 5:29:23 PM PDT by Cougar66

Muslim youths walked with a determined stride to London's East End Mosque to say their prayers on Friday, just hours after armed police surrounded the building after a bomb threat. Wearing the traditional shalwaar kameez, their heads crowned with the white prayer caps of Islam, swathes of young second-generation Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh made their way to the mosque on Whitechapel Road, one of the oldest and busiest in London.

The moment was particularly poignant as Friday is the most important day for Muslims. Salaat-ul-Jumma, or the Friday noon prayer is necessarily communal and helped heighten the feeling of solidarity among those disaffected by the recent events and the public's reaction to them.

“I feel scared to wear Islamic clothes at the moment. Everyone gives me dirty looks,” said Mansoor, a 15-year-old muslim from Bangladesh.

His friend, Muhammed, also 15, echoed his views. “Before these latest attacks, I felt British, but now I feel that I have been left out of British society,” he said.

“I feel like running away from this country,” said 15-year-old Juber, who said that he and his friends are being stopped and searched by police at a rate of five or six times a week. “If they [the police] start harrassing mulims for no reason, then why do we want to stay in this country? It has become racist,” he added.

Other teenagers on their way to prayers said they felt all Asians were suffering at the moment, whether they were muslim, sikh or hindu, and that few of the public really understood that only a minority of Muslims engage in terrorism, with the majority condemning it.

“Anyone with brown skin is suffering from these attacks. When I get on a bus, I feel very afraid. People look at me suspiciously and some even shout 'Bin Laden, Bin Laden' at me,” said Siratu.

The Muslim Council of Britain , which has been working with government to improve community relations, expressed concern about developments on Friday: “We are getting phone calls from quite a lot of Muslims who are distressed about what may be a shoot-to-kill policy,” said a spokesman.

“I feel much more harrassed now. The incidents that have happened have not helped the muslim community as a whole. All terrorists are now being classed as muslim,” said Mez, a teenager from Bangladesh. “When the IRA was bombing London, people never said whether they were Catholic or Protestant, so what's the difference? The British government have alienated us,” Mez added.

He went on to argue that, despite all the terrorist attacks which have happened since September 11, the root of the problem had still not been addressed by the public.

“In Iraq and Palestine people are dying on a daily basis and no one is holding silences for them. What is happening in those two countries is the root of the problem of terrorism. Give the Iraqis and the Palestinians support and it will stop,” Mes said.

“America ain't playing fair,” said Rash, another you Bangladeshi said yesterday as his friends nodded their heads in clear agreement. “I'd still rather live here than there,” he finally concluded.


TOPICS: United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: islam; londonattacked; muslims; trop; uk; ukmuslims; unitedkingdom
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To: Cougar66
“In Iraq and Palestine people are dying on a daily basis and no one is holding silences for them. What is happening in those two countries is the root of the problem of terrorism. Give the Iraqis and the Palestinians support and it will stop,” Mes said.

Wrong - it didn't start with Paletinians and Iraq and so it won't stop after. And appeasement only emboldens rather than ends things. And is that a threat?! They should interrogate this joker.

41 posted on 07/24/2005 5:49:04 PM PDT by kcar (theUNsucks.com)
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To: Cougar66

"London’s Muslims feel public hostility"

Good.


42 posted on 07/24/2005 5:50:49 PM PDT by Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: Cougar66

Good. They need to feel the heat, just like the thousands that died in the burning towers on 9/11. They felt the heat -- and we got our first REAL taste of Muslims and their intent.


43 posted on 07/24/2005 5:51:38 PM PDT by EagleUSA (S)
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To: Cougar66
“I feel scared to wear Islamic clothes at the moment. Everyone gives me dirty looks,” said Mansoor, a 15-year-old muslim from Bangladesh.

At least they aren't blowing you up.

44 posted on 07/24/2005 5:52:07 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: JABBERBONK
I still can't understand why Muslims wish to live in the west, under the rule of the Kafir.

Some shop owners are catching on.


45 posted on 07/24/2005 5:53:30 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Tax-chick
"I feel like running away from this country,” said 15-year-old Juber"

Put on a long winter coat before you do.

46 posted on 07/24/2005 5:54:55 PM PDT by Senator Goldwater
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To: jbeachgrl5
Take that feeling and run with it, sucker.

So true,  some people just need to learn to trust their inner feelings and act on them.

47 posted on 07/24/2005 5:55:01 PM PDT by softwarecreator (Facts are to liberals as holy water is to vampires)
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To: Senator Goldwater

Chortle!


48 posted on 07/24/2005 5:55:42 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Standing athwart history, shouting, "Turn those lights off! You think electricity grows on trees?")
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To: JCEccles
Please note: nowhere in any of their statements do they find fault with terrorists or the virulently racist and intolerant religion that provides the justification for terrorism. No, it's the West's fault.

You forgot misogynist. But, yes, it's all the West's fault. Rail at everyone else and fail to take responsibility for the fact that you haven't done a thing to distance yourselves from this kind of violence. How hard is it to condemn someone whose primary goal is to target women, children, and other civilians for the express purpose to terrorize them? All of this whining and blame-placing and self-pity--they sound like liberals, don't they?

49 posted on 07/24/2005 5:57:10 PM PDT by Uncle Vlad
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To: dila813
I thought it was the Baptists myself.

It's the Amish, all those years with no electricity has finally gotten to them and they are lashing out.

50 posted on 07/24/2005 5:57:37 PM PDT by softwarecreator (Facts are to liberals as holy water is to vampires)
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To: FreedomCalls

Is that for real?!


51 posted on 07/24/2005 5:57:40 PM PDT by demnomo
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To: Cougar66
just....so....hard...to...type...thru...the...tears....

Not.

bwahahahaha...whatta bunch of crybabies who just flat out don't get it:

1) They call us all infidels, pig, and monkeys (oooh, I'm so insulted), then get oh-so-thin-skinned when Tom Tancredo suggests nuking Mecca (a tad unrealistic, but still a fun fantasy).

2) They stand idly by while their crackpot clerics foam at the mouth about the flag of Islam atop the entire world (geez, talk about recycled James Bond villains), then tell US not to criticize them.

3) They blame the West for their isolation, yet Muslim majorities polled often consider themselves Muslims first, citizens of their residing country LAST.

4) They cheer when Israeli citizens (who can't fight back) die by the busloads, yet get their collective panties-in-a-wad (pun intended) over Abu Ghraib.

5) They blame the West for all their problems, when careful examination of various hot-spots around the world reveal Muslims from sect "A" attacking Muslims in any non-"A" sect.

And yet, they ignore all this, still believing that they have this God-given "right" to bully us thru terrorism and crybaby-ism. Yo, Mez, Muhammed, Achmed...we "infidels" aren't as stupid as you hope and think. So, act like the democRATS here in the U.S. and believe all your tin-foil hat theories. The world will continue to pass you by and leave you behind.

And no amount of bombs and angry chanting is gonna change that harsh reality...

52 posted on 07/24/2005 5:58:33 PM PDT by kromike
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To: Cougar66

Take up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.

Take up the White Man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain,
To seek another's profit
And work another's gain.

Take up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine,
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
(The end for others sought)
Watch sloth and heathen folly
Bring all your hope to nought.

Take up the White Man's burden--
No iron rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper--
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go, make them with your living
And mark them with your dead.

Take up the White Man's burden,
And reap his old reward--
The blame of those ye better
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"

Take up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness.
By all ye will or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent sullen peoples
Shall weigh your God and you.

Take up the White Man's burden!
Have done with childish days--
The lightly-proffered laurel,
The easy ungrudged praise:
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers.

By Rudyard Kipling


53 posted on 07/24/2005 5:58:43 PM PDT by yuleeyahoo
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To: Cougar66
“I feel like running away from this country,” said 15-year-old Juber, who said that he and his friends are being stopped and searched by police at a rate of five or six times a week. “If they [the police] start harrassing mulims for no reason, then why do we want to stay in this country? It has become racist,” he added.



I'm sure they'll find room for you on a freighter headed to the Middle East. Bye Bye.
54 posted on 07/24/2005 5:58:45 PM PDT by HighlyOpinionated (It translates as "72 raisins of startling white clarity" NOT 72 fair skinned maidens.)
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To: Cougar66
The "Muslim community" worldwide has only given a muted condemnation of the terrorist attacks, 911/ Russia, Spain and London, et al.

Instead of whining, start protesting against your "fellow Muslims".

I am of Arabic parents, Christian, and I hate terrorism and the fanatical Muslims. Also, I don't mind people "looking at me" since I am wary of Arabic-looking men also, even though I am Arabic. These 15 year-old Muslims sound like Democrats--whining instead of taking appropriate action.
55 posted on 07/24/2005 5:58:58 PM PDT by Dont_Tread_On_Me_888 (Bush's #1 priority is Africa. #2 priority appease Fox and Mexico . . . Our nation #64.)
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To: Cougar66
only a minority of Muslims engage in terrorism, with the majority condemning it.

Ummm... I hear very few condemning it, fewer doing anythng to end it.

56 posted on 07/24/2005 6:01:24 PM PDT by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† || Iran Azadi || Kyoto: Split Atoms, not Wood)
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To: Cougar66
All terrorists are now being classed as muslim,” said Mez, a teenager from Bangladesh.



Well, Mez, if the shoe fits . . .
57 posted on 07/24/2005 6:01:41 PM PDT by HighlyOpinionated (It translates as "72 raisins of startling white clarity" NOT 72 fair skinned maidens.)
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To: Cougar66

What else can the Western Media do but focus on its peers -- teenage MTV watchers.


58 posted on 07/24/2005 6:02:34 PM PDT by Bars4Bill
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To: Cougar66
"London’s Muslims feel public hostility"

Does one really have to ask why?

59 posted on 07/24/2005 6:05:20 PM PDT by Tench_Coxe
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To: JCEccles

Minds totally polluted at the age of 15. What a waste. Their parents, teachers, imams, etc are truly evil to poison their children this way.


60 posted on 07/24/2005 6:07:12 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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