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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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4th January 2004

Press Release: Outrage at Blair’s Anti-Muslim comments

A prominent London based human rights organization today expressed outrage at remarks made by prime-minister Tony Blair, currently visiting Iraq.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission called for an immediate apology for Blair’s “insensitive and provocative statements.” The BBC reported “Mr Blair said no democratic regime would spend billions of pounds on chemical and biological weapons when its own people were suffering.”

“This is historical revisionism of the UK’s support for Iraq during the 80s,” said IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh. “The British government along with the United States supported that dictator in the name of democracy during the war with Iran. They looked the other way while chemical weapons were used both on Iran and the Kurds.”

“Now he is taking advantage of Saddam’s fall as a personal publicity stunt,” added Shadjareh. “He is using this jingoistic language to rouse emotion in his favour and to turn a blind eye to the responsibility western governments like the UK have in all of this.”

Said Shadjareh, “the BBC reported Blair feared the ‘virus of Islamic terrorism.’ This is a bizarre fear set against the context of the recent US and Europe-wide polls indicating that these constituencies see Israel as the greatest threat to world peace.”

“Blair claims to have read the Qur’an several times, but until he can show the Muslim world he cares about them over his power politics, he will be seen as nothing less than a hypocrite.”

For more information please contact (+44) 20 8904 4222 or (+44) 7958 60 74 75 or info@ihrc.org.

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org