For Immediate Release |Australian Muslims Strongly Condemn Mumbai Terrorist Attacks, 5 December 2008
Affinity strongly condemns the recent carefully planned terrorist attacks in India.
Affinity sincerely sends its condolences to all the victims of terrorism. As Australians, we extend our condolences to all, in particular fellow Australians who have been touched by these cowardly attacks. As global citizens, we face challenging circumstances. Perhaps more than ever, the evil forces of terror are feeding off the blood and violence directed at innocent victims by displaying acts of terror in an attempt to achieve personal and political gains.
Since 9/11, the anti-terror stance of Affinity has been witnessed widely by the Australian public. We have strived to educate Muslims and the wider population about terrorism and collectively work towards the elimination of the common enemy. Once again, we declare our absolute condemnation of terrorism in light of the Mumbai attacks.
Terrorism cannot be isolated to any single religion or race. The Mumbai attacks targeted westerners and reportedly have been executed by terrorists of Muslim background. It is important to note that amongst the victims were a number of Muslim tourists. These attacks should not be viewed as being fuelled and stimulated by religion. Followers of all faiths must make it known that religion will never be permitted to be used as a tool to cover the evil intentions of terrorist activity. We believe that Islam does not, under any circumstances, permit terrorist activity. Muslims cannot be terrorists and terrorists cannot be Muslim. We even doubt the humanity of terrorists irrespective of how they may be defining themselves. It is for this reason that Indian Muslim authorities have refused to bury dead terrorists in the Muslim cemetery.
As conscientious world citizens, we must be able to see through the superfluous religious motivations put forward as motives and understand the real driving forces behind these ruthless attacks. Different religions have been used to shroud terrorist attacks in history and it seems that Islam in recent times has been targeted. Labelling terrorist attacks as works of a religious group has the undesirable effect of marginalisation. To soften the blow of the attacks on communities, we must break the barriers of ignorance and prejudice through increased social interaction and work towards the common good of mankind as a unified global society. This is the leading principle of the Affinity Intercultural Foundation.
The objective reporting and commentary by the Australian media and government offices and mature evaluation of events by the wider community to isolate Islam from the Mumbai attacks has been extremely well received as a symbol of strengthened social cohesion by Australian Muslims. We commend all Australians for their intelligent analysis of this disaster and invite Muslim and non Muslim religious groups to join us in denouncing all forms of terrorism.
The Affinity Intercultural Foundation is a non-profit community based organisation that is committed to bringing together people of different backgrounds to help improve understanding and respect and to build greater community harmony. Affinity has been involved in many bridge building activities that help to overcome ignorance and prejudice since 2000.
For more information: Phone: 02-9702 0789, email:
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, website: www.affinity.org.au
