83-700: The British Islamic Medical Association is a British organisation which aims to serve Muslim healthcare professionals in the UK. The association was founded in 2013 and is an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain and the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations . The British Islamic Medical Association holds regular conferences and workshops and has created tool kits to address various issues that are dealt with by Muslim medical professionals. One such project has been ‘Lifesavers’, launched in association with
166-441: A bus flying through the air". Two injured bus passengers said that they saw a man exploding in the bus. The location of the bomb inside the bus meant the front of the vehicle remained mostly intact. Most of the passengers at the front of the top deck survived, as did those near the front of the lower deck, including the driver, but those at the rear of the bus suffered more serious injuries, with several individuals being blown from
249-704: A free alternative to overcrowded trains and buses. Local lifeboats were required to act as safety boats, including the Sheerness lifeboat from the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. Thousands of people chose to walk home or to the nearest Zone 2 bus or railway station. Most of the Underground, apart from the stations affected by the bombs, resumed service the next morning, though some commuters chose to stay at home. Affected stretches were also closed for police investigations. Much of
332-524: A period of six months. Regarding the limited number of Muslim women on trustee or management boards of mosques, the MCB stated that "the lack of diversity is unacceptable". In 2011, the MCB expressed that a woman not covering their face with a veil is shortcoming, and Muslims that advocate such behaviour are in jeopardy of "rejecting Islam". The MCB condemned the 2003 invasion of Iraq as "a massive disconnect between public opinion – including Muslim opinion – on
415-571: A policy of "non-engagement" with the Muslim Council of Britain based on claims that the group is not sufficiently representative and that some of its former officials have made favourable remarks about extremists in the past. Between 2001 and 2007, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) expressed its unwillingness to attend the Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony and associated events. In a press release dated 26 January 2001
498-679: A political event" which "glorifies the state of Israel, turning a collective blind eye to the immeasurable suffering of Palestinians at the hands of Israelis every single day." Historically, MCB has constantly spoken out against sectarianism . In 2013, the council signed an intra-faith unity declaration between a number of Islamic schools and branches within both Sunni and Shia denominations of Islam. The MCB has been criticised by Martin Bright , among others, for failing to be truly representative. He said, in response to an article by Madeleine Bunting : "any body that represents itself as speaking for
581-457: A repeal "undermines the institution of the family and will damage the fabric of our society". Yet, in April 2007, the Muslim Council of Britain issued a statement supporting the government legislation "prohibiting discrimination in the provision of goods and services on grounds of sexual orientation". On 3 January 2006, Iqbal Sacranie told BBC Radio 4 's PM programme he believes homosexuality
664-550: A secure Ministry of Defence site. A replacement bus was named Spirit of London . The 52 victims were of diverse backgrounds. All were UK residents, including exchange students. The majority lived in or near London. Their ages ranged from 20 to 60 years old, with an average age of 34. Thirty-two victims were British, while one victim each came from Afghanistan, France, Ghana, Grenada, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Romania, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Three victims were Polish nationals, while one victim
747-409: A series of attempted attacks that failed to cause injury or damage. At 8:49 a.m. on Thursday 7 July 2005, three bombs were detonated on London Underground (LU) trains within 50 seconds of each other: It was originally thought that there had been six, rather than three, explosions on the Underground network. The bus bombing brought the reported total to seven; this was clarified later in
830-566: A series of four co-ordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamist terrorists that targeted commuters travelling on London's public transport during the morning rush hour. Three terrorists separately detonated three homemade bombs in quick succession aboard London Underground trains in Inner London . Later, a fourth terrorist detonated another bomb on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square . The train bombings occurred on
913-572: A terrorist suspect arrested in Berlin in May 2011 have suggested that Rashid Rauf , a British al Qaeda operative, played a key role in planning the attacks. A second claim of responsibility was posted on the Internet by another al-Qaeda allied group, Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades . The group had, however, previously falsely claimed responsibility for events that were the result of technical problems, such as
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#1732772412035996-518: A videotape broadcast by Al Jazeera on 1 September 2005, Mohammad Sidique Khan described his motivation. The tape had been edited and mentioned al-Qaeda members Osama bin Laden , Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi , describing them as "today's heroes". Khan's tape said: I and thousands like me are forsaking everything for what we believe. Our drive and motivation doesn't come from tangible commodities that this world has to offer. Our religion
1079-705: A videotape broadcast by the Arab television network Al Jazeera. However, an official inquiry by the British government reported that the tape claiming responsibility had been edited after the attacks, and that the bombers did not have direct assistance from al-Qaeda. Zabi uk-Taifi, an al-Qaeda commander arrested in Pakistan in January 2009, may have had connections to the bombings, according to Pakistani intelligence sources. More recently, documents found by German authorities on
1162-431: Is Islam , obedience to the one true God and following the footsteps of the final prophet messenger. Your democratically-elected governments continuously perpetuate atrocities against my people all over the world. And your support of them makes you directly responsible, just as I am directly responsible for protecting and avenging my Muslim brothers and sisters. Until we feel security you will be our targets and until you stop
1245-908: Is "not acceptable" and denounced same-sex civil partnerships as "harmful". Gay rights campaigners, such as Peter Tatchell , called for a "dialogue" between the MCB and gay organisations . In April 2007, the MCB formally declared its support for the Equality Act , which outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation . The journalist Brian Whitaker said: "the Muslim Council of Britain has begun to move towards accepting homosexuality". MCB guidance for schools says that parents of Muslim children should be allowed to withdraw their children from school activities involving mixed swimming, dance, sex and relationship education, music, drama, and figurative drawing on religious grounds. On farm visits, touching or feeding pigs should be prohibited. It also warns that pupils and parents may refuse to shake hands with
1328-567: Is an umbrella body of Muslim organisations in the United Kingdom, with over 500 affiliated mosques and organisations. It was formed in 1994 in response to British government's expressed wish for a single representative body of Muslims it could talk to. It has been called the best known and most powerful of the Muslim organisations founded since 1990. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) was formed in 1994 in response to an expressed wish by
1411-625: Is not enough." He also criticised what he saw as close links between the MCB and the Labour Party. Sacranie conceded that "propaganda literature may well play a role", but emphasised: "such propaganda can only be effective because of the conducive atmosphere we have helped create." The MCB has co-operated with trade unions and issued a joint statement with the Trades Union Congress urging better community relations and encouraging Muslims to join trade unions. On 3 March 2008,
1494-552: Is of the emergency services, police forces and voluntary aid societies that responded to the bombings to assist with rescue, recovery, security and scene control: There were limited reactions to the attack in the world economy as measured by financial market and exchange rate activity. The value of the British pound decreased 0.89 cents to a 19-month low against the US dollar. The FTSE 100 Index fell by about 200 points during
1577-561: Is said to be dominated by groups that have their roots in "anti-colonial political Islam from Middle East and South Asia", in particular Pakistan, Bangladesh and Arab countries. According to The Economist , the Islamists from these countries held a big share of the top positions. Other commentators state that it was influenced initially by followers of Jamaat-e-Islami , a radical Islamist organisation in South Asia. But this influence
1660-576: Is seen to be reducing, with younger British-born activists coming through. The Secretary General from 1997 to 2006, Iqbal Sacranie , received a knighthood in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours for his longstanding service to the community and interfaith dialogue. The current Secretary General, since 2021, is Zara Mohammed , a faith leader from Glasgow, Scotland. The MCB's core administrative expenses are funded entirely by affiliation fees from members, as well as donations from individuals and grant-giving organisations. The MCB also runs projects to raise
1743-487: The 2003 London blackout and the US Northeast blackout of 2003 . Within hours of the bombings, various Islamic religious groups had condemned the attacks and distanced themselves from the perpetrators. Sir Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain stated that the perpetrators were not true Muslims as their acts were "contrary" to Islamic beliefs. On 18 July, over 500 British Muslim religious leaders issued
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#17327724120351826-588: The Bank of England , HM Treasury and the Financial Services Authority revealed that they had instigated contingency plans immediately after the attacks to ensure that the UK financial markets could keep trading. This involved the activation of a "secret chatroom" on the British government's Financial Sector Continuity website, which allowed the institutions to communicate with the country's banks and market dealers. Continuous news coverage of
1909-506: The British Heart Foundation . The project was carried out in collaboration with mosques in the UK, and aimed to train members of the public and Muslim communities in basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In a similar project, the association has also collaborated with Cancer Research UK on a project aiming to educate members of the public and Muslim communities about bowel cancer and raise awareness about
1992-697: The Circle Line near Aldgate and at Edgware Road , and on the Piccadilly Line near Russell Square . Apart from the bombers, 52 UK residents of 18 different nationalities were killed and nearly 800 were injured in the attacks. It was the UK's deadliest terrorist incident since the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 near Lockerbie , and the UK's first Islamist suicide attack. The explosions were caused by improvised explosive devices made from concentrated hydrogen peroxide and pepper, packed into backpacks. The bombings were followed two weeks later by
2075-642: The Conservative Party . In June 2018, the organisation said there are now "more than weekly incidents" involving Conservative candidates and representatives. In an open letter, the organisation told chairman Brandon Lewis he must "ensure racists and bigots have no place" in the party. The Conservative Muslim Forum accused the Conservative Party of a failure to take action on Islamophobia and joined calls for an independent inquiry. In addition, 350 mosques and 11 umbrella organisations across
2158-503: The War on Terror , and claimed that the plan that included the bombings also involved increasing harassment of Muslims in Europe . On 13 August, quoting police and MI5 sources, The Independent reported that the bombers acted independently of an al-Qaeda terror mastermind some place abroad. On 1 September, it was reported that al-Qaeda officially claimed responsibility for the attacks in
2241-589: The 'No. 30 bus' after it was destroyed. The slogan, "Maybe now it's time to start listening to the BNP" was printed beside the photo. Home Secretary Charles Clarke described it as an attempt by the BNP to "cynically exploit the current tragic events in London to further their spread of hatred". Some media outside the UK complained that successive British governments had been unduly tolerant towards radical Islamist militants, so long as they were involved in activities outside
2324-433: The British government for a single representative body of Muslims that it could talk to. The core of the organisation was made up of Muslim professionals who had worked under the banner of UK Action Committee for Islamic Affairs (UKACIA). Once formed, the MCB had ready access to parliamentarians and policy makers. Its views were expressly sought by the government, civil servants and media channels. The cosy relationship with
2407-513: The Council listed two points of contention that prevented them from attending the event, which were that it "totally excludes and ignores the ongoing genocide and violation of Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere" and that "It includes the controversial question of alleged Armenian genocide as well as the so-called gay genocide ." Since 2007,
2490-589: The Hammersmith & City line was reopened from Baker Street to Barking after the affected train was cleared at Aldgate, together with the stretch from Moorgate to Aldgate of the Metropolitan Line. The Hammersmith to Paddington part of the Hammersmith & City line was a shuttle service after the bombings. On 29 July, the District line was reopened from High Street Kensington to Edgware Road, after
2573-518: The King's Cross railway station was also closed, with the ticket hall and waiting area being used as a makeshift hospital to treat casualties. Although the station reopened later during the day, only suburban rail services were able to use it, with Great North Eastern Railway trains terminating at Peterborough (the service was fully restored on 9 July). King's Cross St Pancras tube station remained available only to Metropolitan line services to facilitate
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2656-429: The London bombs, they have been deployed to look at certain people." Vodafone reported that its mobile telephone network reached capacity at about 10 a.m. on the day of the bombings, and it was forced to initiate access overload control to prioritise emergency calls. Other mobile phone networks also reported failures. The BBC speculated that the telephone system was shut down by security services to prevent
2739-567: The MCB condemned the incident as "a gross overreaction" and said the Sudanese authorities lacked basic common sense. Following the fatal bombing of Manchester Arena in May 2017 , MCB Secretary General Harun Khan condemned the attack, saying "This is horrific, this is criminal. May the perpetrators face the full weight of justice both in this life and the next." MCB's claims of being representative of British Muslims have been questioned. Since 2009, successive British governments have maintained
2822-593: The MCB criticised the Foreign Secretary David Miliband 's response to Israel's killing of over 100 Palestinians in Gaza as "blatantly one-sided." It said, "If we are serious about wanting peace, we must act as honest brokers, not partisan bystanders." When schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons was jailed in Sudan for allowing her class to name a teddy bear Muhammad , the same as the Muslim prophet,
2905-489: The MCB has called for the day to be replaced by a "Genocide Memorial Day". On 3 December 2007, the MCB voted to end the boycott. Assistant general secretary Inayat Bunglawala argued it was "inadvertently causing hurt to some in the Jewish community". It drew criticism; for example Anas al-Tikriti said: "rather than a mere remembrance of victims of one of the most heinous crimes in history", Holocaust Memorial Day has "become
2988-784: The MCB leadership mentoring programme; MCB direct, a web portal for information on Islam and Muslims; a British citizenship programme; and the British Muslim Equality Programme. The MCB had requested £500,000 and was criticised for accepting even the lower actual figure because it might be perceived as threatening its independent status. In 2018, the MCB launched the Women in Mosques Development Programme , which aimed to train women to run mosques and other organizations and institutions through personal 1-1 mentoring and specialised workshops over
3071-422: The MCB refused to send an official representative to attend the Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations. Threatened with derecognition and withdrawal of some funds, it sent representatives in 2007. However, after the 2009 Israeli offensive in Gaza , MCB reverted to its original policy, receiving renewed aspersions about its lack of commitment to multiculturalism and to tackling extremism. In 2009, Daud Abdullah ,
3154-550: The MCB suggested that 43% of media clips portray Muslims with a negative association. In regards to Muslims, the British media "tended to focus on a narrow range of issues and recurrent, negative types of characterization". The MCB also condemned the BBC drama series Bodyguard , stating that it "pandered to stereotypes of Muslim women who wear the hijab as oppressed or subservient". 7 July 2005 London bombings The 7 July 2005 London bombings , also referred to as 7/7 , were
3237-420: The MCB, the biggest Muslim organisation in this country and the one that has achieved the greatest degree of non-factionalism and non-sectarianism." The MCB opposed the 2003 repeal of Section 28 , which prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities, on the grounds that presenting "homosexual practice as equivalent to marriage or in a morally neutral way is deeply offensive to Muslims" and that
3320-490: The Muslim community must demonstrate that is entirely non-sectarian and non-factional. The MCB has consistently failed in this area and the Government should consider cutting all ties until it has thoroughly reformed itself." Bunting disagreed, saying: "To the extent that the government over-relied on the MCB, it was due to the laziness of the government wanting only to hear one voice". She said it would be "absurd to exclude
3403-558: The Palestinian territories. Following allegations that police had wire-tapped a Muslim member of parliament, the Council said it was vital "to hold to account the improper behaviour of senior police officers." In 2004, the MCB criticised Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor , head of the Catholic Church of England and Wales , when he said that Muslim leaders were not doing enough to denounce terrorists who carried out attacks "in
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3486-712: The U.S. and Israel , in the massacre of our children in Palestine . You are directly responsible for the problems in Palestine, Afghanistan , and Iraq to this day. You have openly declared war on Islam , and are the forerunners in the crusade against the Muslims . ... What you have witnessed now is only the beginning of a string of attacks that will continue and become stronger until you pull your forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq. And until you stop your financial and military support to America and Israel. Tanweer argued that
3569-541: The UK have urged the Conservatives to launch internal inquiry into Islamophobia claims. In July, the organisation repeated its call for an independent inquiry into Islamophobia and accused the Conservatives of turning blind eye to Islamophobia claims. In July 2019, The Muslim Council of Britain began to launch a "campaign in Parliament for fairer media coverage". After viewing over 10,000 articles and TV clips,
3652-590: The UK, published an open letter saying the government would have no further dealings with the MCB until it distanced itself from the declaration and Abdullah resigned. Abdullah responded in The Guardian by describing her remarks as a "misguided and ill-advised attempt to exercise control." He later said he intended to sue Blears for libel if she did not retract her letter and apologise. The government rejected his threat. The Muslim Council of Britain has repeatedly demanded an investigation into Islamophobia in
3735-504: The UK. Britain's alleged reluctance to extradite or prosecute terrorist suspects resulted in London being dubbed " Londonistan " by French law enforcement in the mid 1990s, the term was popularised by in the UK by columnist Melanie Phillips . Even before the identity of the bombers became known, former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Stevens said he believed they were almost certainly born or based in Britain, and would not "fit
3818-459: The affected train was cleared. On 2 August, the Hammersmith & City line resumed normal service; the Circle line was still suspended, though all Circle line stations are also served by other lines. The Piccadilly line service resumed on 4 August after the affected train was cleared on 16 July, and enhanced maintenance work was done. On 4 August, the Circle line was reopened again. The list below
3901-464: The attacks occurred, described the bombers as " cleanskins ", a term describing them as previously unknown to authorities until they carried out their attacks. On the day of the attacks, all four had travelled to Luton , Bedfordshire, by car, then to London by train. They were filmed on CCTV arriving at King's Cross station at about 8:30 a.m. Two of the bombers made videotapes describing their reasons for becoming what they called "soldiers". In
3984-566: The attacks was broadcast throughout 7 July, by both BBC One and ITV , uninterrupted until 7:00 p.m., although the BBC stuck with initial reports of a power surge on the London Underground until actual events could be corroborated. Sky News did not broadcast any advertisements for 24 hours. ITN confirmed later that its coverage on ITV was its longest uninterrupted on-air news broadcast of its 50-year history. Television coverage
4067-765: The availability and importance of bowel cancer screening services. Along with other medical associations and medical professionals, the British Islamic Medical Association joined the British Medical Association in opposition to comments made at the 2016 Conservative Party Conference in which medical professionals working in the NHS from overseas were referred to as an ‘interim workforce’. Muslim Council of Britain The Muslim Council of Britain ( MCB )
4150-586: The bill. They stated that the bill was perceived as "unfairly targeting Muslims and stifling legitimate debate". The bill was eventually passed without the amendment by 315 votes to 277. The opposition of the council to the clause and to British policy in Iraq attracted both praise and criticism. Sunny Hundal wrote in an exchange with Iqbal Sacranie: "In order to defeat violent extremism, we must understand what motivates these people and what turns them into killers. What puts them in that frame of mind? The Iraq War alone
4233-458: The bombing, gassing, imprisonment and torture of my people, we will not stop this fight. We are at war and I am a soldier. Now you too will taste the reality of this situation. The tape continued: ...I myself, I myself, I make dua (pray) to Allah ... to raise me amongst those whom I love like the prophets , the messengers, the martyrs and today's heroes like our beloved Sheikh Osama Bin Laden, Dr Ayman al-Zawahri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and all
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#17327724120354316-469: The bombings, Home Secretary Charles Clarke confirmed the incidents were terrorist attacks. Although there were security alerts at many locations throughout the United Kingdom, no terrorist incidents occurred outside central London. Suspicious packages were destroyed in controlled explosions in Edinburgh , Brighton , Coventry , Southampton , Portsmouth , Darlington and Nottingham . Security across
4399-436: The bus. The extent of the damage caused to the victims' bodies resulted in a lengthy delay in announcing the death toll from the bombing while the police determined how many bodies were present and whether the bomber was one of them. Several passers-by were also injured by the explosion and surrounding buildings were damaged by debris. The bombed bus was subsequently covered with tarpaulin and removed for forensic examination at
4482-401: The capability of British Muslim communities and to widen good practice. All MCB projects self-fundraise through sponsorship, donations or grants, and MCB does not have a central 'pot' of money to fund internal or externally-led projects. In 2005, the MCB received a project-specific £150,000 Government grant for a number of specific projects. These were: the MCB leadership development programme;
4565-547: The caricature al-Qaeda fanatic from some backward village in Algeria or Afghanistan". The attacks would have required extensive preparation and prior reconnaissance efforts, and a familiarity with bomb-making and the London transport network as well as access to significant amounts of bomb-making equipment and chemicals. Some newspaper editorials in Iran blamed the bombing on British or American authorities seeking to further justify
4648-555: The country was increased to the highest alert level . The Times reported on 17 July 2005 that police sniper units were following as many as a dozen al-Qaeda suspects in Britain. The covert armed teams were ordered to shoot to kill if surveillance suggested that a terror suspect was carrying a bomb and he refused to surrender if challenged. A member of the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Firearms Command said: "These units are trained to deal with any eventuality. Since
4731-470: The damage caused by the bombings was not as great as thought initially. By end of trading the market had recovered fully to above its level at start of trading on 7 July. Insurers in the UK tend to reinsure their terrorist liabilities in excess of the first £75,000,000 with Pool Re , a mutual insurer established by the government with major insurers. Pool Re has substantial reserves and newspaper reports indicated that claims would easily be funded. On 9 July,
4814-624: The day there were 40,000-page requests per second for the BBC News website. The previous day's announcement of the 2012 Summer Olympics being awarded to London resulted in up to 5 Gb/s. The previous all-time maximum for the website followed the announcement of the Michael Jackson verdict , which used 7.2 Gb/s. On 12 July, it was reported that the British National Party released leaflets showing images of
4897-439: The day. US market indexes increased slightly, partly because the dollar index increased sharply against the pound and the euro. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 31.61 to 10,302.29. The NASDAQ Composite Index increased 7.01 to 2,075.66. The S&P 500 increased 2.93 points to 1,197.87 after decreasing as much as 1%. Every benchmark value gained 0.3%. The market values increased again on 8 July as it became clear that
4980-446: The day. The incorrect reports were later attributed to the fact that the blasts occurred on trains that were between stations, causing wounded passengers to emerge from both stations, giving the impression that there was an incident at each. Police also revised the timings of the tube blasts: initial reports had indicated that they occurred during a period of almost half an hour. This was due to initial confusion at London Underground, where
5063-416: The declaration was in personal capacity, the government lifted the suspension, but not long before the Labour Party lost power in the 2010 election . The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition that came to power in 2010 tacitly reinstated the non-engagement policy, which continues to this day. According to scholar Toby Archer, the break had been imminent since 2006. The 2005 London bombings showed
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#17327724120355146-583: The deputy general secretary of MCB, signed a declaration in Istanbul which called for a jihad in response to the Israeli assault on Gaza and endorsed Hamas attacks on foreign troops, including possibly British troops. The government asked Abdullah to step down and, when he declined, suspended its formal relationship with MCB. Following MCB's categorical assurances the following year that it did not support attacks on British troops and that Abdullah's signing of
5229-558: The emergency sparked discussions to improve London's emergency communications system . For most of the day, central London's public transport system was largely out of service following the complete closure of the Underground, the closure of the Zone 1 bus network , and the evacuation of incident sites such as Russell Square. Bus services restarted at 4:00 p.m. on 7 July, and most mainline railway stations resumed service soon afterward. River vessels were pressed into service to provide
5312-414: The explanation had been made because of bomb damage to power lines along the tracks; the rapid series of power failures caused by the explosions (or power being ended by means of switches at the locations to permit evacuation) looked similar, from the point of view of a control room operator, to a cascading series of circuit breaker operations that would result from a major power surge. A couple of hours after
5395-401: The explosions were originally believed to have been caused by power surges . An early report, made in the minutes after the explosions, involved a person under a train, while another described a derailment (both of which did occur, but only as a result of the explosions). A code amber alert was declared by LU at 9:19 a.m., and LU began to close operations by ordering trains to continue to
5478-562: The government soured after the September 11 attacks , when the British government was looking to MCB for support of its participation in the war in Afghanistan . But MCB opposed the war, based on its affiliates' wishes, and temporarily fell out of favour with the government. Thus began a strange love-hate relationship between the MCB and the government, say Peter Morey and Amina Yaqin, which continues to this day. Between 2001 and 2006,
5561-470: The government that its existing engagement policies were not successful, and MCB's channelling of the Muslim anger against British foreign policy, including the Iraq War, made it appear disloyal to the government. After the 2006 election, a new Ministry of Communities and Local Government was created; Ruth Kelly , the minister, started talking to alternative Muslim voices and came to the conclusion that MCB
5644-566: The month of Ramadan. When editorial cartoons of Muhammad were printed in the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005, the MCB saw them as reflecting "the emergence of an increasingly xenophobic tone being adopted towards Muslims in parts of the Western media" and argued, "We should not allow our valued freedoms in Europe to be abused by those deliberately seeking to provoke hatred and division between communities". At
5727-538: The name of Allah", while clarifying that they denounced terrorism. Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings , the MCB issued statements expressing its disgust at the events: "All of us must unite in helping the police to capture these murderers." In February 2006, the MCB urged MPs to vote for the House of Lords ' amendment to the Terrorism Act 2006 , which removed the "glorification of terrorism" clause from
5810-538: The next station and, to remain at that station and detrain passengers. The effects of the explosions varied due to the differing characteristics of the tunnels in which each occurred: Almost one hour after the attacks on the London Underground, a fourth bomb exploded on the top deck of a number 30 double-decker bus , travelling its route from Marble Arch to Hackney Wick . The bus left Marble Arch at 9:00 a.m. and arrived at Euston bus station at 9:35 a.m., where crowds of people had been evacuated from
5893-414: The non-Muslims of Britain deserve such attacks because they voted for a government which "continues to oppress our mothers, children, brothers and sisters in Palestine , Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnya ." Initial reports suggested that a power surge on the Underground power grid had caused explosions in power circuits. This was later ruled out by power suppliers National Grid . Commentators suggested that
5976-462: The one side and the political classes on the other". The group condemns terrorism by Muslims and non-Muslims alike and has urged Muslims to help in the fight against terrorism. Nevertheless, though the MCB has unequivocally condemned terrorism committed by Muslims against Jews and Jewish targets both in Britain and in other countries, it has never condemned Islamic terrorism against Jews in Israel or in
6059-492: The ongoing recovery and investigation for a week, though Victoria line services were restored on 15 July and the Northern line on 18 July. All of the damaged trains were removed in stages. St Pancras station , located next to King's Cross, was shut on the afternoon of the attacks, with all Midland Mainline trains terminating at Leicester , causing disruption to services to Sheffield , Nottingham and Derby . On 25 July,
6142-538: The opposite sex during prize-giving ceremonies. The Daily Express newspaper referred to the publication as demanding " Taleban -style" conditions. It said music lessons were unacceptable to around 10% of Muslim pupils. Based on information from the MCB, Stoke-on-Trent City Council issued a Ramadan guide to all schools. The document said schools should reschedule swimming lessons (to avoid swallowing water), sex education and examinations (as Ramadan can disrupt sleeping patterns and concentration) so they are outside
6225-462: The other brothers and sisters that are fighting in the ... of this cause. On 6 July 2006, a videotaped statement by Shehzad Tanweer was broadcast by Al-Jazeera. In the video, which may have been edited to include remarks by al-Zawahiri, Tanweer said: Your government has openly supported the genocide of over 150,000 innocent Muslims in Falluja ... You have offered financial and military support to
6308-439: The possibility of mobile phones being used to trigger bombs. Although this option was considered, it became clear later that the intermittent unavailability of both mobile and landline telephone systems was due only to excessive usage. ACCOLC was activated only in a 1 km (0.6 mi) radius around Aldgate Tube Station because key emergency personnel did not have ACCOLC-enabled mobile phones. The communications failures during
6391-577: The same time, it said they regarded "the violent threats made against Danish and EU citizens by some groups in the Muslim world as completely unacceptable." In March 2009, The Observer reported that people including Daud Abdullah , the Deputy Secretary General of the MCB, had signed what has become known as the Istanbul Declaration (not to be confused with the 2004 Istanbul summit ) in January of that year. This
6474-531: The tube and boarded buses as an alternative method of transport. The explosion at 9:47 a.m. in Tavistock Square ripped off the roof and destroyed the rear portion of the bus. The blast took place near BMA House, the headquarters of the British Medical Association , on Upper Woburn Place . A number of doctors and medical staff in or near that building were able to provide immediate emergency assistance. Witnesses reported seeing "papers and half
6557-629: The two hours after the first attack. This was its greatest decrease since the invasion of Iraq , and it triggered the London Stock Exchange 's 'Special Measures', restricting panic selling and aimed at ensuring market stability. By the time the market closed, it had recovered to only 71.3 points (1.36%) down on the previous day's three-year closing high. Markets in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain also closed about 1% down on
6640-468: Was a Vietnamese born Australian and one held dual American-Vietnamese citizenship. Seven of the victims were killed at Aldgate, six at Edgware Road, 26 at King's Cross and 13 at Tavistock Square. The four suicide bombers were later identified as: Three of the bombers were British-born sons of Pakistani immigrants ; Lindsay was a convert born in Jamaica . Charles Clarke , Home Secretary when
6723-657: Was in reaction to Israeli military action in Gaza of December 2008 and January 2009. As reported, the Declaration implored the "Islamic Nation" to oppose by any means all individuals deemed supportive of the " Zionist enemy" (meaning Israel ). At the time of signing, political leaders, including the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown had suggested providing peacekeeping naval forces to monitor arms-smuggling between Gaza and Egypt. Hazel Blears , Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in
6806-487: Was not representative of the Muslim viewpoint in general. The MCB is an umbrella body with 400 to 500 individual Muslim organisations as its affiliates, which include mosques and schools. The leaders are elected once every two years by the affiliate organisations. Most of the affiliate organisations are small, but some are organisations of national prominence, such as the Muslim Association of Britain . MCB
6889-432: Was notable for the use of mobile telephone footage sent in by members of the public and live pictures from traffic CCTV cameras. The BBC Online website recorded an all-time bandwidth peak of 11 Gb /s at midday on 7 July. BBC News received some 1 billion total accesses throughout the course of the day (including all images, text and HTML), serving some 5.5 terabytes of data. At peak times during
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