British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Tuesday provoked outrage in the Muslim community by claiming that terrorism is “justified by Islam.” Speaking to The Financial Times, he said “One of the things we’ve got to do is give [Muslim] leaders the confidence to face down terrorism justified by Islam.”
“His phrase ‘terrorism justified by Islam’ is utterly meaningless and deeply offensive to Muslims,” chair of the Muslim Council of Britain’s Media Committee, Inayat Bunglawala told Irna.
“Our scholars have made it clear that there is no basis whatsoever or targeting Muslims,” Bunglawala added. He also suggested that his provocative comments could add to the current backlash against Muslims following the recent London bombings.
“The foreign secretary of all people should know that no terrorism can be justified by Islam,” Bunglawala said. “His comments could unwittingly give succor to Islamophobes who are forever trying to link the face of Islam with violence,” he warned.
For Straw’s FT article, see here.