Isee reassuring signs all around me that British Muslims are condemning the July 7 blasts. At mosques, in statements read out in the British parliament. But I'm a little apprehensive to see people expect us Muslims to condemn 7/7. It seems we have to prove ourselves by saying the obvious: we are neither killers, nor do we stand back and applaud when some others kill.
I fear that this defensiveness may last a long time. It's almost as though we are all feeling guilty; it is being even suggested that we should all feel guilty for something someone else has done. We feel really sorry for the families of those who died and for the injured, for the families of these misled Muslim youths who resorted to acts of terrorism, for innocent Muslims who are being victimised.
But I feel especially sorry for another reason. I remember that protest march in London on February 15, 2003, a little over a month before the invasion of Iraq. It was the biggest rally London had ever seen. We Muslims...
