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 | | Saturday, 20 October, 2001, 17:51 GMT 18:51 UK Muslims rally for peace  There were chants of: "America, shame on you" Hundreds of Muslims have been rallying against terrorism and the international response to it. The demonstration, in Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's Blackburn constituency, has been focusing on the civilian damage caused by US air strikes in Afghanistan. About 600 people turned up despite rainy weather. Organisers had hoped for about 1,000. Chants included: "What do we want? Peace" and "America, shame on you." One of the organisers, Dr Zakir Patel, told the BBC the protesters wanted the problem to be dealt with by diplomacy rather than military action. He said: "There's terrorism all over the world - there's terrorists in England, in Ireland, in America. "Diplomatic means are being used to solve these problems, so why not the Afghanistani problem?"
He said the ruling Taleban in Afghanistan had said if they were given evidence against Osama Bin Laden, they would hand him over to an international court. Dr Patel said: "In England or America, if somebody murders somebody what do we do? We take them to court, get all the evidence, and than take them to jail... "We don't burn their house or kill their family, so why are we doing this in Afghanistan?" He said the US should recognise a neutral international court in which to try those suspected of the 11 September attacks. He said millions had fled Afghanistan before the action even began, because of US threats of retaliation. More rallies Several rallies against the strikes in Afghanistan have already been held in the UK. Last Saturday a peace rally of about 20,000 people, supported by the Muslim Council of Britain and the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament, among others, gathered in central London. Chants included: "We want peace!", "Islam means peace!" and "USA - terrorists!". Another major protest is expected to be held in London on 18 November. Campaigners have also been marching in Glasgow and Belfast. | |
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