Londoners Gather in Solidarity and Unity

Report by the Muslim Association of Britain

The Garden of Friends House in Euston filled with Londoners who came to remember the victims of the horrific bombings that shook their city on Thursday, and show solidarity and unity in the face of the attacks and their aftermath. The vigil was called by the Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Muslim Association of Britain the day following the bombings, and despite the short notice, over 1,000 people responded to this call, wishing to express the resoluteness of London in the face of those who wished to disrupt its peace and unity.

The Garden was filled with a spirit of unity, solidarity and determination to defy the objectives of those behind the bombings as well as those who wish to exploit them to victimise others. Speakers included Lindsey German, Convener of Stop The War Coalition, Dr Azzam Tamimi from the Muslim Association of Britain, Jeremy Corbyn MP, George Galloway MP, Paul Mackney from the NATFHE, and the father of one of the British soldiers killed in Iraq. .

All speakers expressed thoughts of sympathy and solidarity with the victims of the attacks and their families and friends, condemnation of these criminal attacks and emphasis that nothing can justify them. All speakers also warned against the victimisation of Muslims as a result of the association made between these crimes and groups claiming to act in the name of Islam, stressing that "we stand shoulder to shoulder"with the Muslim community during these difficult times.

Speakers also stressed that while nothing could justify the murder of innocent people, the terrible events have emphasised again that the "war on terror" into which our government has dragged our country has not made the world safer from terrorism, and that it is only through establishing real peace and justice around the world that we can prevent terrorism here and abroad.

© The Muslim Association of Britain www.mabonline.net

A vigil in memory of the bomb victims in London, Iraq and Afghanistan was held in Edinburgh on the evening of Thursday 8 July. On the following day Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed while serving with British forces in Iraq, laid a wreath at Edinburgh's St Giles cathedral in memory of all the bomb victims.