Blair Seeks to Tackle Extremism
Upon investigation, it has been found that the bombs that killed 52 Londoners last week were actually suicide bombings carried out by four men, three of whom have been identified to be British citizens of Pakistani descent.
Shehzand Tanweer, Hasib Mir Hussein, Mohammad Sadique Khan, and a fourth unidentified bomber are suspected to have masterminded the devastating bombings. Young men, of British birth and Pakistani descent, little is known about their motives- only that they were extremely religious. Shehzand Tanweer had spent time studying religion in Pakistan and Hasib Mir Hussein is said to have had a “born again” experience, becoming very religious two years ago.
Responding to the discovery of identity of the bombers, British Prime Minister Tony Blair called for action against what he called the “Evil Ideology” of Islamic extremism. In several statements, Blair emphasized that he believed extremism to be a “perverted misinterpretation” of Islam. He stated that it is time for the “moderate” voice of Islam to confront the evil of extremism head on, and for the Muslim community in Britain and elsewhere to stand up and take action.
Meeting with Muslim MPs on Wednesday morning, Blair asked how to combat the ideology of extremism which seems to be the driving force behind not only terrorism but much of the turmoil of the Middle East. At the end of the meeting, Blair concluded that there was very little non-Muslims could do about extremism except to condemn it. In the end, it will be action and pressure from within the Muslim community itself that will help root out extremism.
Conservative party leader Michael Howard, speaking alongside Blair, also made an important point reminding all Brits that any action taken against the Muslim community incites further hatred which is exactly what the extremists want to happen. Hoping to pit a people against itself, Muslim extremists have escaladed their political greviances into a religiously driven war- hoping that their brethren around the world will join them in their evil agenda.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4678821.stm