NEW YORK, 9 July 2005 — A prominent New York City imam, Faisal Abdul Rauf, has decried Thursday morning’s terrorist attacks in London as “crimes against humanity.”
In a statement issued here yesterday, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf said: “The Holy Qur’an teaches us that ‘Whoever kills a human being… it is as if he has killed all humankind: and if he saves a human life, it is as if he has saved the lives of all humankind’.”
He condemned the abuse of religion by fanatics whose sole purpose is to rouse hate. Nothing is as antithetical to all religion, especially to Islam, as the wanton violence wreaked by the attacks in London, he said.
The imam called for greater efforts by Muslim leaders and thinkers to come together to present to the world the true essence of Islam as a religion of moderation and compassion. He said the so-called fatwas justifying terrorism are all being issued outside of the established schools of religious law and are in clear violation of their common principles.
Imam Faisal is the founder of American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), an Islamic cultural and educational organization dedicated to building bridges between American Muslims and the American public.
Meanwhile, US Capitol Police were on high alert and were searching dozens of Metro buses, tour buses, and other vehicles during the afternoon rush hour.
Police boats ferried up and down the Potomac River looking for explosives under bridges that carry train and metro passengers into the city.
Metro Transit Police officials said that since terrorists attacked the train system in Madrid in March 2004, they had added patrols and enhanced specialized equipment including chemical-weapon identifiers, portable X-ray kits, protective police gear and surveillance cameras.
