One in five US Muslims knows of extremist support in community
One in five American Muslims knows of support for extremism in their community, new research has found, despite Muslims being far happier about the state of the US than other groups.
6:26AM BST 31 Aug 2011
As the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, 21 per cent of respondents told a study they had detected "a great deal" or "a fair deal" of support for extremism in their areas.
While the vast majority said that suicide bombings and other forms of violence against civilians to protect Islam were never justified, 19 per cent of respondents did not agree with this statement.
Peter King, a Republican congressman for New York, said the findings "reinforce the need" for him to continue holding controversial hearings on the radicalisation of American Muslims.
"There is a small percentage of American Muslims who are sympathetic to al-Qaeda. al-Qaeda is trying to recruit them. They are the ones we should be looking for," said Mr King.
The study, by the Pew Research Centre, found 56 per cent of Muslims were "satisfied with the current direction of the country", compared to just 23 per cent of the population at large.
Those two figures have grown further apart since four years ago, when 38 per cent of Muslims and 32 per cent of the general population were content with America's direction.
The study also found that 79 per cent of American Muslims rated their communities as "excellent" or "good" places to live.
However more than half of Muslims said they felt singled out for terrorist surveillance, and 43 per cent said they had personally experienced harassment in the past year.
UK News
The study also found that 79 per cent of American Muslims rated their communities as "excellent" or "good" places to live.
However more than half of Muslims said they felt singled out for terrorist surveillance, and 43 per cent said they had personally experienced harassment in the past year.
UK News
Radical Muslims warn of another 9/11
Muslim extremists have held a meeting at the heart of the area where the liquid bombers lived in which they warned of a British September 11.
By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent
One speaker at the meeting, held on the anniversary of the attacks in America, told the assembled crowd that the West should "listen to the warnings."
The meeting, in front of a 100-strong crowd at a community centre on the Lea Bridge Road in Walthamstow, east London, was also addressed by the exiled preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed via video link from the Lebanon.
His appearance was greeted by cheers of "faith" and "god is great" as he claimed to have foiled a bomb plot against him by agents of the British Government, although much of his speech was inaudible due to technical difficulties.
Walthamstow was home to two of the three members of a gang found guilty of conspiracy to murder. They face a retrial over allegations they were targeting trans-Atlantic flights.
Among the speakers were a number of former members of the banned group al-Muhajiroun, once led by Bakri from his council home in Edmonton, North London.
Laden and al-Qaeda for their "courage" in retaliating against the "dictatorship and oppression" of the West.
He said: "The blame of 9/11 belongs to no one but the American government. They are the terrorists. Sheikh
Osama warned America numerous times, it was because of their own arrogance, because they thought they are a superpower and nobody could match them, that Sheikh Osama taught them a lesson – a lesson they still haven't learned."
Mr Islam warned that unless British and American troops were withdrawn from "Muslim lands" they would be to blame for the consequences, saying the West would "never achieve security until our own lands achieve security".
"Wake up. Withdraw. Listen to the warnings. Muslims will stand side to side, not just al Qaeda. The actions of the British and Americans have given prominence to al Qaeda. All of us have a part to play in stopping the violence or the next 9/11 will take place in Britain, the next 7/7 could take place locally," he added.
The meeting was led by the lawyer Anjem Choudary under the name of a group called the Association for Islamic Research.
He was the last to speak to the group of largely young Muslim men and criticised the Government for persecuting "innocent Muslims" including Syrian–born Bakri who was banned from re-entering the country in the wake of the July 7 attacks.
He also talked of the defendants in the airliner trial along with the jailed preachers Abu Hamza and Omar Brooks, another of Bakri's followers, as well as Abu Qatada, recently released on bail.
"They [the Government] say they are civilized but they don't act very civilized," Mr Choudary said. "They jailed Sheikh Abu Qatada in Belmarsh prison. Is that the way you treat your guests?"
He spoke against mainstream bodies like the Muslim Council of Britain, who condemned the September 11 and July 7 attacks, accusing them of "selling their souls to the devil".
Mr Choudary talked about the black "flag of Sharia" flying over Downing Street by 2020, saying 500 people a day were converting to Islam.
He laughed that Muslim families in places like Whitechapel and Bethnal Green in east London were having .
He said: "The blame of 9/11 belongs to no one but the American government. They are the terrorists. Sheikh
Osama warned America numerous times, it was because of their own arrogance, because they thought they are a superpower and nobody could match them, that Sheikh Osama taught them a lesson – a lesson they still haven't learned."
Mr Islam warned that unless British and American troops were withdrawn from "Muslim lands" they would be to blame for the consequences, saying the West would "never achieve security until our own lands achieve security".
"Wake up. Withdraw. Listen to the warnings. Muslims will stand side to side, not just al Qaeda. The actions of the British and Americans have given prominence to al Qaeda. All of us have a part to play in stopping the violence or the next 9/11 will take place in Britain, the next 7/7 could take place locally," he added.
The meeting was led by the lawyer Anjem Choudary under the name of a group called the Association for Islamic Research.
He was the last to speak to the group of largely young Muslim men and criticised the Government for persecuting "innocent Muslims" including Syrian–born Bakri who was banned from re-entering the country in the wake of the July 7 attacks.
He also talked of the defendants in the airliner trial along with the jailed preachers Abu Hamza and Omar Brooks, another of Bakri's followers, as well as Abu Qatada, recently released on bail.
"They [the Government] say they are civilized but they don't act very civilized," Mr Choudary said. "They jailed Sheikh Abu Qatada in Belmarsh prison. Is that the way you treat your guests?"
He spoke against mainstream bodies like the Muslim Council of Britain, who condemned the September 11 and July 7 attacks, accusing them of "selling their souls to the devil".
Mr Choudary talked about the black "flag of Sharia" flying over Downing Street by 2020, saying 500 people a day were converting to Islam.
He laughed that Muslim families in places like Whitechapel and Bethnal Green in east London were having .
USA
US Muslims concerned over Islamophobia as 9/11 and end of Ramadan clash
US Muslim groups have urged law enforcement agencies to be on guard during Eid al-Fitr, the end-of-Ramadan holiday which this year coincides with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), an advocacy group, said local and federal agencies across the country were being asked to remain vigilant during the Eid celebrations.
Edina Lekovic, MPAC communications director, said the warning came because of what she called a "heightened climate of Islamophobia" in recent months, citing protests against plans to build an Islamic centre and mosque in Manhattan, not far from the site of Ground Zero.
"We're seeing consistent cases of protests taking place in front of some mosques organised largely by Islamophobic groups," Ms Lekovic said.
"At this stage it's just a precaution because there are many mosque leaders around the country who are understandably concerned for their congregations and want to be sure that they're taking preventative measures and that law enforcement is on standby if, God forbid, there are any issues that need to be dealt with."
Ms Lekovic emphasised that Ramadan and Eid festivals in the United States usually passed without incident.
By and large, Ramadan and the Eid holidays are peacefully celebrated by Muslims and ignored by the public," she said.
However the furore over the Ground Zero mosque and cases including a Florida church that has announced plans to hold "International Burn a Koran Day" on September 11 have triggered concerns of possible hate crimes.
"We're asking local police and sheriff's departments to be vigilant as well as federal authorities. We're asking federal authorities to examine cases where there are violent acts against Muslims or mosques," she said
By and large, Ramadan and the Eid holidays are peacefully celebrated by Muslims and ignored by the public," she said.
However the furore over the Ground Zero mosque and cases including a Florida church that has announced plans to hold "International Burn a Koran Day" on September 11 have triggered concerns of possible hate crimes.
"We're asking local police and sheriff's departments to be vigilant as well as federal authorities. We're asking federal authorities to examine cases where there are violent acts against Muslims or mosques," she said
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