'U.K. Muslim youth had no role in J&K killing'

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JAN. 6. The Kashmiri community in Birmingham has denied that any Muslim youth from the city was involved in the suicide- bombing that killed 10 persons in Kashmir recently, while a Muslim Labour peer has demanded an inquiry into reports that hundreds of British Muslim youths are being trained for terrorist activities directed against other countries, including India.

The demand by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham follows a claim by a Muslim extremist, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, that the suicide-bomber came from Birmingham and was the son of a Pakistani family. Bakri Mohammed called the youth a `martyr' and said his family `was proud of him', but were afraid of speaking out in public for fear of police.

A spokesman for a leading Kashmiri group, Mr. Mohammed Galeb, told the BBC that he gave `absolutely no credence' to the story. ``It seems to me that there is nothing in this story but it is damaging the cause and encouraging the youth'', he said.

Lord Ahmed said an investigation was needed to establish the truth and nail the claims. ``For Muslims' sake we need to have an investigation to really establish the facts,'' he said. He questioned Mr. Bakri Mohammed's claim about the scale of recruitment and training of Muslim youth and dismissed the cleric as a ``rent-a-quote'' publicist, according to the BBC.

He said there were many `disenfranchised' young people born and brought up in Britain who might be involved in criminal activities but this did not mean that ``the whole community should be blamed'' and dubbed as `jehadis'.

Bakri Mohammed has given the suicide-bomber's name as Bilal Ahmed, 24, who was born and brought up in Birmingham. In mid- nineties he was picked up by a local recruiting agency, financed by him (Bakri), and sent to Pakistan for training.

The British Government has not commented so far, but merely said that the new terrorist Act, expected to come into force next month, would enable the police to crack down on expatriate terrorist groups operating in Britain.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Militants claim killing 9 soldiers in Poonch
Next     : Republicans unhappy over package