————————————————
Islamic Human Rights Commission
————————————————

PRESS RELEASE
25th September 2001

Anti-terror means Anti-Muslim
Worst fears for Muslims beginning to be realised as West starts naming terrorists

The USA’s list of 27 individuals and organisations whose assets have been frozen for ‘supporting terror’ are a damning indictment of its goals in their aptly named ‘crusade.’

The list is entirely made up of Muslim organisations and individuals and mirrors the global trend in the last few years that has labelled Muslims as almost solely responsible for international and national acts of terrorism. Chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Massoud Shadjareh said:

“For several years now, Muslims have been complaining of increasing demonisation by Western governments and media of the community and the religion. This latest ‘list’ this time from the USA shows how far this demonisation has now gone.

“If the USA were serious about stopping the financing of terrorism within its borders, those groups and individuals who raise funds for Northern Ireland’s terror groups should be included in this list. That is just a start. The USA is a well-known base from which funds for all sorts of organisations have raised funds. Other notable groups include the many Israeli terror groups that operate in the Middle East.”

At the beginning of this year the UK produced its first list of organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. The majority of organisations named consisted of Muslim groups. Referring to the double standards of the British government regarding its own list, Shadjareh continued:

“It is worth noting that whilst pro-Palestinian groups who resist military occupation as per their rights under the UN Charter were proscribed, Jewish terror groups like Kahane were left off. It is a bitter irony that Kahane is actually banned by the Israeli government as a terror group. Significant support and funding for Kahane comes from the West, yet there have been no moves to freeze or trace any other groups’ assets.”

IHRC fears that this type of inconsistency will further fuel the anti-Muslim harassment and hostility being experienced in many countries where Muslim are minorities. Further, it polarises the world community by alienating Muslims who seek justice and yet find themselves stigmatised by the continuous insistence by the West either overtly or implicitly, that Muslims are the perpetrators of terrorism.

For more information etc. please contact the Press Office on (+44) 20 8902 0888 or 07958 60 74 75 or 07958 522 196.