LONDON, 3 March — A high-ranking Islamic delegation headed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, will pay a three-day visit to London to meet with senior British officials and Muslim leaders.
The delegation is to discuss issues concerning the Muslim community in the United Kingdom and explain the Islamic point of view on the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
The delegation includes Dr. Nasir Farid Wasil, Egypt’s grand mufti, Hussien Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, imam of the Prophet’s Mosque, and Kamel Al-Sharif, former Jordanian minister of endowments and Islamic affairs.
Other prominent figures in the delegation are Dr. Surin Abdul Halim, Thailand’s former foreign minister, Ahmed Al-Rawi, head of Europe’s Islamic organizations, and Yousuf Bakkas, dean of the College of Dawa in South Africa.
Lord Nazir Ahmad is expected to hold a reception at the House of Lords in honor of the delegation. The delegation is scheduled to attend a symposium to be held by Oxford University on Tuesday.
The team members will meet with high-ranking Scotland Yard officers on Tuesday evening. They will visit the London University on Wednesday.
Dr. Turki said the delegation’s visit was aimed at clarifying Islam’s stand on terrorism. He pointed out that the MWL was one of the first Islamic organizations to denounce the attacks on New York and Washington.
However, Turki stressed the need to differentiate between legitimate resistance against oppression and terrorism.
Dr. Ahmad Al-Dubiany, director of the Islamic Cultural Center in London, said the MWL delegation would also meet with top Islamic personalities in Britain. “Discussions will focus on clarifying Islam’s stand on terrorism and the killing of innocents, regardless of the cause or motives,” he added.
