British Muslims are in an anguished position over Syria, with profound distrust of western military intervention clashing with a desire to see the demise of President Assad, leaders of the 2.7m strong community said on Wednesday.
"I was in Oldham yesterday talking to a large crowd and people usually think, here we go again, another Muslim nation being attacked," said Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, one of the UK's most senior Muslim politicians. "But here they see it is right for Syria's chemical weapons and air strike capability to be dismantled. People know that there's a real problem and that 100,000 people have been killed. People can see millions of children being moved and being bombed. I have been talking to one charity working in Jordan and they have been dealing with women who have been raped and that is a very sensitive issue."
"On every occasion America has gone to war it has used the same argument that it will be selective," added Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, chairman of the East London Mosque. "It doesn't wash with the Muslim community. By interfering in Syria it is going to antagonise Iran, Russia and China and open a Pandora's box that will take Syria into a darker age that will leave the Muslim world further divided." » | Robert Booth | Wednesday, August 28, 2013
