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The following are excerpts from an interview with Anas Al-Tikriti, spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, which aired on ANB TV on August 11, 2005.
Host: You appeared to be justifying the attacks when you were quoted as attributing the attacks to "Britain's foreign policy, which turned London into a target for terrorist attacks. Decency requires us to say so." You stressed that "the war against terror is not our war, but the war of British PM Tony Blair, who should know that if he ignites a war, his people will inevitably be burned by it."
Tikriti: I say these things and I reiterate them all the time, both in Arabic and in English. But I don't think that they justify in any way the killing of an innocent woman or child on a bus, or going to school, or strolling around London. I do not justify this at all. This is a crime. I completely denounce this. The prime minister should be held responsible for what is happening, because we warned him more than two years ago and before the war was waged.
Host: He was warned by many...
Tikriti: He was warned by members of his own government and by MPs. He was warned by his advisors, and by legal advisors throughout the world. They warned him that this would endanger Britain and would turn it into a target for future terrorist attacks.
Host: Even MI5....
Tikriti: And now that it has happened, we must stress once again what we've said to him before.
[...]
The truth is that the moderate discourse had won over many youth from these extremist movements. I know dozens on them who used to support the Al-Tahrir and Al-Muhajirun groups, and later said they were convinced by our discourse and believe that it represents true Islam. But after the events of 9/11 and the war it brought against terror, against Afghanistan and then against Iraq, and the continuation of the oppressive policy towards Palestine - we lost many of these achievements, because the furious youth, who couldn't vent their anger in a positive manner, said, "by Allah, so-and-so was right after all." This is one thing.
In addition - how many times do I have to apologize or condemn the events of 9/11? Once, twice, ten times, or twenty times? The position is clear. I don't have to condemn this. My position is clear, my Islam is clear. These actions, which took place in New York, Madrid, Bali, Istanbul, Riyadh, Rabat, or London, contradict Islam and my values. This should be enough. Saying this once is enough to express my opinion. But if I have to continue to apologize time and again...
Host: And every time there's an incident, it is as if you are responsible.
Tikriti: ...as if I'm responsible for it. Brother, I have nothing to do with this.
[...]
I personally have done nothing for over 12 or 13 years except for delivering Friday sermons and giving lessons about positive assimilation, moderation, and rejecting violence. And then along came George Bush and Tony Blair, adopted the policy of war on terror, and swept all this away. What am I supposed to do now?
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