News

10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks we remember the victims of terrorism across the world and those lives which were lost on 11 September 2001.

The last ten years have not been easy. There has been a lot of suspicion, mistrust from all sides - and tragically, we have seen thousands more people from all walks of life become victims of terrorism, including Muslims themselves for whom the world is a different place from ten years ago. The impacts from 9/11 have been felt across the world and we experienced first hand the acts of terror here in Britain on 7th July 2005. The recent horrific events in Oslo show that terrorism is still a potent threat to peaceful coexistence. We must defeat it.

Along with the vast majority of British people, Muslim communities have rejected and challenged terrorists and extremists; they have nothing to offer the world. Those who seek to divide society have failed. Indeed, their destructive actions have only brought communities closer together.

"The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is an opportunity for communities to defy the rhetoric singling out Muslims as the problem. The attack on the twin towers was a vicious attack on all of us - regardless of race, colour or creed – it was an assault on all the things that make us human. Terrorism is not and never has been anything to do with Islam and we must all reject unhelpful stereotyping and rejoice in the humanity that links us all."

For Muslims, our faith gives us hope – a hope shared by people of other faiths and of none - for a world free from terror and injustice. But simple optimism shouldn’t replace nurturing strong relationships if we really want to leave a legacy of mutual respect and understanding for future generations.

I want to conclude by saying that now is the time to look to the future with greater optimism. Our common humanity, our spirit of community, the values we share as human beings, will give us the strength to confront those who seek to divide rather than unite us, now and in the future. We will continue to stand together in troubled times, not just against terrorism but against all forms of criminality that pervade our society - as we saw during the riots that spread across the UK in recent weeks. Only together can we defeat such problems. Only together can we work to build communities whose unity honours the memory of the victims of September 11th and victims of conflicts and terror around the world.

Statement read by Maulana Shahid Raza as a part of Friday sermon at Leicester Central Mosque on Friday 9th September 2011.