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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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28 April 2008

PRESS RELEASE: USA – IHRC welcomes not guilty verdict for three 7/7 suspects

The Islamic Human Rights Commission welcomes today’s not guilty verdict of Waheed Ali, Sadeer Saleem, and Mohammed Shakil, accused of conspiring with the bombers carrying out the London 7/7 atrocities. However, there is much concern over the reoccurring cycle integral to current British anti-terror efforts, which entail sweeping arrests and criminalising the religion and ethnicity of terror suspects, who are then predominately released without charge. Meanwhile, an entire community is increasingly and unjustly marginalised as lives are being ruined.

IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh commented:

“We welcome this verdict and are pleased that, today, 3 Muslims in Britain have been rightly exonerated of conspiring with the 7/7 bombers. Needless to say, it is most concerning that young Muslims continue to be the victims of sweeping arrests and the leveling of terror charges. Further, one mustn’t forget that even after a not guilty verdict, a terror accusation effectively ruins the life of the accused, not to mention their family’s. Our current ‘shotgun effect’ anti-terror strategy is counter effective, institutionalising racism and Islamophobia, and feeding the politics of fear.

For more information please contact the Press Office on (+44) 20 8904 4222 or (+44) (0)7958 522 196, email: info@ihrc.org.[ENDS]

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The Islamic Human Rights Commission is an NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

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