Blair Tackles Root of London Bombings by Healing Interfaith Relations

British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with two dozen leaders of Britain’s Muslim community at Downing Street on Tuesday 19th July, in efforts to find a way forward and ease inter-faith relations in the midst of the recent London Terrorist attacks.

The prime minister invited leaders of the Muslim community and business leaders along with the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, the opposition leader, Michael Howard, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy. They discussed practical steps to be taken following the July 7th bombings in London.

The leaders emerged from the meeting pledging solidarity with one another to aid the government to tackle the problem at its roots. Discussions indicated a strong willingness among all attendees to go to the core causes of the suicide bombings that have killed at least 56 people and injured more and 700.

The meeting took place as Blair was also meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The Afghan premier strongly condemned the suicide attacks and pledged that his country would offer its fullest support to fight terrorism.

Tensions amongst the hugely diverse faith groups in London and the UK have risen greatly since the bombings on July 7th and religious leaders from all mainstream faiths have quickly come forward to unite in denouncing the vicious attacks.

In the Muslim community, an attempt to counter extremism has been made by a publication of a fatwa (religious decree), stating that the "destruction of innocent lives is vehemently prohibited" by Islam. The fatwa was issued by religious leaders and scholars on Monday to be read out in Mosques across the country on Friday.

In the aftermath of the bombings on the London transport network, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Jews have united in their opposition to the atrocities. The Head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor along with other heads from other faiths spoke about community relations in London and the UK in the days following the bombings. They joined a host of leading religious organisations in the UK, including the Evangelical Alliance UK, in condemning terrorist activities.

In addition, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams – head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, was with Muslim colleagues and friends on an interfaith visit to West Yorkshire at the time of the attacks and assured the resounding denunciation of all in attendance with him: "We were one in our condemnation of this evil and in our shared sense of care and compassion for those affected in whatever way."

The Archbishop called for unity, saying "Such solidarity and common purpose is vital for us all at this time of pain and sorrow and anger."

Prime Minister Blair said that his latest meeting with the Muslim leaders was heartening and had demonstrated a remarkable degree of unity across the community and political spectrum.

Blair said the extremism was "based on a perversion of the true faith of Islam but nonetheless is real within parts of our community here in this country".

He continued by saying that they had discussed the "right machinery" to go into society and engage with young people vulnerable to extremist ideas. He said those at the meeting supported the idea of a task force.

"They will be people who are going to be supported by the rest of us but from the community, able to talk to the Muslim community and confront this evil ideology, take it on and defeat it by the force of reason", said Prime Minister Blair.

Meanwhile in Punjab, Pakistan a major sweep was carried out against fundamentalists on Tuesday as more than two dozen people suspected of connections to the London bombings were detained.