British Muslims Warn Gaza Conflict Helps Extremists
LONDON - Leading British Muslims warned Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a letter Thursday that anger over the Israeli campaign in Gaza has reached 'acute levels' and was empowering extremists, reports said.
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Representatives of Muslim organisations who have been active in tackling extremism in Britain also urged Brown to pressure the United States to condemn Israel's military operations, according to extracts published in the Guardian.
'As you are aware, the anger within UK Muslim communities has reached acute levels of intensity,' said the letter from Usama Hasan, imam of Al-Tawhid mosque in London, and the Islamic Foundation's Dilwar Hussain, among others.
'The Israeli government's use of disproportionate force ... has revived extremist groups and empowered their message of violence and perennial conflict.
'For Muslims in the UK and abroad, we run the risk of potentially creating a loss of faith in the political process.'
The signatories urged Brown to 'make concerted and successful efforts to convince the US administration of the dangers of its approach and to ensure the incoming Obama administration forges a more enlightened direction.'
'We also believe the UK -- bilaterally and as part of the EU -- has an important role to demonstrate to Israel that the threshold of acceptable behaviour has been perilously transgressed,' the letter said.
More than 700 Palestinians have died during Israel's 12-day-old offensive on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, medics said Wednesday.
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