Author: Our London Correspondent
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: May 2, 2003
Claims by the Israeli authorities
that a suicide bomber and his accomplice who attacked a cafe in Tel Aviv
on Tuesday were British has rocked the UK's Muslim community.
A man carrying a passport in the
name of Asif Mohammed Hanif, 21, killed himself and three other people
when he detonated explosives.
An accomplice, believed to be Omar
Khan Sharif, 27, is also said to be a British citizen, from Derby. He fled
the scene after his explosive belt failed to detonate. This is the first
time British citizens have been linked to an attack of this kind.
Hanif's family spoke of their disbelief
that he could have been involved. His brother Taz, speaking from his home
in Hounslow, west London, said his brother was studying Arabic at Damascus
University in Syria so that he could return to England and teach children.
"He wasn't that sort of person," he said. "Anyone who knew him would tell
you. He was just a big teddy bear - that's what people said about him."
He told the Sun newspaper: "We used
to watch the news and our parents said the suicide stuff is not good. What
do you achieve by killing yourself and killing other people?"
The Muslim community in Derby shocked
and surprised by the claims that someone from their community was involved
in a suicide bombing in Israel.
Muslims at the Derby Islamic Centre
and mosque said they had not heard of an Omar Khan Sharif. One said: "It
is a big shock and we all get a bad name at the end of the day. All Muslims
aren't terrorists."
Another said killing innocent people
was not right, whether they thought it was part of their Muslim belief
or not. "But then again if you are suffering you will do anything," he
said.
The foreign office has confirmed
it is working with the Israeli authorities, but could not yet confirm that
the passports were actually genuine or that the suspects were really British.
Israeli authorities say Omar Khan Sharif is now high on their wanted list.
UK spokesperson for the Muslim group
Al-Muhajiroun, Anjum Choudhury, said it came as no surprise that young
men from Britain may have been involved. "It has not come as a surprise
at all," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "The feeling for jihad
at the current time in the light of Iraq and Afghanistan and the continuing
intifada in Palestine is very hot within the Muslim community. People are
very eager to support their Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine and
in other areas as much as they can. Of course, the ultimate sacrifice for
a Muslim is to lay down his life for the sake of Allah in the struggle
of jihad."
England's first Muslim MP, Khalid
Mahmood, called for action to stop extremists inciting people to carry
out such attacks.
