USA: MUSLIM REACTION TO BOMB ATTACKS IN KENYA & TANZANIA скачать в хорошем качестве

USA: MUSLIM REACTION TO BOMB ATTACKS IN KENYA & TANZANIA

(9 Aug 1998) English/Nat Muslims across America have condemned the deadly bombings of the U-S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The followers of Islam urged fellow Americans not to assume Muslims were responsible for the violence. Early Saturday afternoon in Washington D-C. For these men, it is prayer time. They kneel in reverence to the east toward Mecca - centre of the Islamic world - and pray to Allah. They are just a few of the (b) billion or so people worldwide who now call Islam their faith and their calling. Here in the U-S capital - the self-proclaimed centre of democracy in the world - several hundred of the faithful this weekend gathered for a conference on Islamic unity. It's the second such gathering of its kind and is sponsored by the Islamic Supreme Council of America. That council is the official voice of Islam in America on matters of law, religion, politics and culture. The theme of this year's conference is Islamic world unity. Organisers say Muslims in America need to feel they too are part of the Islamic world. And leaders of that world are at the conference to offer advice to the faithful on how to thrive as Muslims. They cover domestic issues like marriage and divorce and political concerns like the plight of Muslims in war ravaged Bosnia and Kosovo. And there's a lot of talk about the image of Islam in America. The leaders are also quick to speak out against those who were responsible for the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that claimed the lives of almost 150 people. They know that Americans have looked to the Arab world in the past, when bombs struck close to home in Oklahoma City and New York City. Conference host Sheikh Muhammad Kabbani such violent acts cannot be those of a true follower of Islam, nor of any other religion for that matter. SOUNDBITE: (English) "So religion is innocent from this action. And we, as the Islamic Supreme Council of America, we completely condemn any party who have bombarded or have exploded this explosion in Tanzania and Kenya.....And all these innocent went without no reason, and they were victims of terrorist actions." SUPER CAPTION: Sheikh Hisham M. Kabbani, Chairman, International Islamic Unity Conference. That seems to be the view of many of those here this weekend. The spread of Islam westward may be due in part to the religious fervour sparked by extreme Islamic movements in the Middle East. But here in the U-S, Islam is seen as a benevolent force, to embrace for its benefits to culture and to life in general. That message is clear in the conference exhibit hall. It's a kind of marketplace for Islamic ideas, aided by high-tech tools familiar to Americans. Magazine editor Ausaf Faruqi says the people at the conference represent the real future of Islam. But he admits that some acts in the name of Islam have left a legacy that all Muslims must deal with. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Sadly, you know, there have been Muslim groups who have conducted these type of activities. They should, in my view, be condemned without any equivocations or reservations whatsoever......But in the long run I think the message of Islam is a good one. And in the long run it will find its way of reaching people, and it will succeed in the long run." SUPER CAPTION: Ausaf Faruqi, Managing Editor, Impact International. Faruqi and others say they hope the next generation of believers will benefit from a more favourable view of Islam. And they hope that view will be shaped not by acts of terror, but instead by acts of peace. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...