Posted on 06/30/2007 7:17:12 PM PDT by angelcindy
LONDON (AFP) - London Mayor Ken Livingstone called on Britons Saturday not to demonize Muslims after a double car bomb plot was foiled in the capital, amid fears of a Islamist terror threat.
At the same time he criticized Britain over its ties with Saudi Arabia, which he said had fuelled intolerance in the past through its Wahhabist form of Islam, creating a "major problem."
"In this city, Muslims are more likely to be law-abiding than non-Muslims and less likely to support the use of violence to achieve political ends than non-Muslims," he told BBC Radio.
"They have played a good and active and growing role in creating a multi-cultural society," he added.
He noted that terrorist acts had been carried out in London over the years by various groups including for example far-right groups. For years the British capital was wracked by violence by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
"All I am interested in as mayor is that we try to prevent all acts of violence whether it is by a disaffected young member of the (far-right) BNP (British National Party), whether it is by an Islamist or a Wahhabist supporter," he said.
It was crucial to understand "that that doesn't mean that all white men are potentially a threat to society any more than all Muslims are," he added.
But he said criticized the government's ties with Saudi Arabia, saying it remained unclear if Riyadh had stemmed huge amounts of funding which he said flows from the country.
"We have got to understand that when we talk about the Wahhabi strand of Islam, which is very intolerant, our major problem in dealing with it is that it flows out of Saudi Arabia," he said.
He said Wahhabi was the official religion of the Saudi royal family, and noted that Riyadh was one of the main buyers of British arms.
"For a very long time, politicians at national level were refusing to be sufficiently critical of the fact that the Saudi regime didn't clean up its act," he said.
"Now we are assured that they have, but there's been decades of literally hundreds of millions of pounds flowing out of Saudi Arabia with official backing into the most intolerant strand of Islam, buying influence all over the world for it.
"I think we have to be absolutely clear that that is not still going on. I don't have access to the sort of MI6 briefing to say whether that's come to an end or not," he said.
I'm suprized he didn't say "Christian" as well. What an idiot. As the ay, "some mothers do 'av 'em"
No, Livingstone is as bad as the worst of the worst politicians in the U.S. And in Britain, he’s more important than any of them are here.
I guess if he went back far enough in English history, he could point out that Swedes and Danes are just as likely to be terrorists as Muslims. And his observation would be just as meaningful.
LOL!!!!!
"Stay calm, all is well !"
Doesn't Red Ken the f*ckwit remind you of THIS guy ?
You're right, we don't have greater PERCENTAGES, just greater NUMBERS of Muslims. 10 million and rizing, not to mention how many illegals. 10 million and more pouring in every day. It seems they get a taxi to drive as soon as the plane lands, or they sneak across the border, or they build a mosk...
I am watching the “Clash of Civilisations”, and the man is an educated fool.
No kidding. I'm amazed how posters rip what's going on across the pond while we are doing the same.
While I can’t stand Red Ken, and I’m horrified that a man such as he could be the mayor of London, I’m glad somebody has finally started accusing the Saudis of exporting wahabism.
Bookmarking
Well, golly gee, he's got a point - I mean, what about all those Catholics and Baptists and Methodists and other Christians and Jews that are always blowing themselves and others up and shouting "Praise God! Praise God!"
Oh, there are none? But there must be...they're more likely, so sayeth the Mayor
Chamberlain reincarnated?
Absolutely. Livingstone is scum.
Yup - they sure have.
Ahhhh the good ole days.
That mayor is a communist, and so favors the murdering jihadis. There is an alliance of the left and the savage jihadis. Notice how the American left favors the murdering, savage, death cult from hell, and refuses to expel them from this country!
That is a sick fact that seems to be prevalent in todays backwards world.
Sheesh, what an idiot. I have never been impressed by the Brits.
Recent book, ‘Londonistan’ lays it out very clearly. UK is the center of Jihadist plots. They’re overrun with Muslims, many from Pakistan. In particular, Birmingham has a huge Muslim population, and many are in Scotland. They’re moving into Ireland in great numbers, as well. The UK allowed them to do pretty much as they pleased — bomb other countries, just don’t bomb here. Now they’re letting the new prime minister, a Scot, know what time it is. Give up supporting the US and Israel, get out of Iraq and Afghanistan...or else.
Bingo.
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