Muslims tell of post-bomb fears

London’s mayor Ken Livingstone has met Muslim leaders to discuss their fears after the London bombings.

Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting, south London, said the most worrying thing was “British-born and British-raised Muslims… did this to London”. But he said they hoped to help catch those responsible for the attacks.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said they were very worried about the Met’s shoot-to-kill police and called for an inquiry. “This is the only way that we can be assured that the Muslim community is going to be taken seriously,” he said.

Addressing the conference Mr Khan said: “None of us should feel even more guilty than non-Muslims in this city. “People think of Muslims as a homogenous mass but we are not. We are very different groups of people. We will do all that we can to catch those responsible. It is important that we are united.”

Mayor Livingstone also vowed to crack down on anyone or any company who uses to the blasts as an excuse for discrimination, after learning a Muslim woman was not allowed to board a bus in east London.

“This is completely contrary to the law and bus companies that allow that to happen will not be allowed to keep their contracts,” he said. “I have said before we will not allow the bombers to divide us and we will not allow people to divide us here.”

BBC News, 26 July 2005