Terrorist Attacks in London

The Statement of the President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), Halit Habipoglu, concerning the Terrorist Attacks in London

We have heard regrettably about the attack series which aimed the civilians travelling with the public transport means in London. We condemn severely the perpetrators who carried out the attacks after in Istanbul and Madrid now in London, too, and wish to the ones who lost their lives the grace of God, and their families patience.

There is no religion, behind which these brutal murderers can hide themselves who have selected the innocent persons continuing their daily lives as victims in public transport means and at work places. The equation of Islam, which is also a religion of peace and tolerance like all the other religions, with terrorism is bothering us, the Western Thrace Muslim Turks, who has been living Islam in its most peaceful form for 600 years, of which for 85 years as a minority in Greece where the majority is Christian, and as immigrants in Germany. The scenario of the “Clash of Civilizations”, which has been tried to be brought to the agenda after September 11th, should not be allowed. Islam and Christianity are not the conflict parties which aim to destroy each other. On the contrary, they are peace and tolerance doctrines which complement each other mutually. The real conflict is between this understanding of peace and tolerance and terrorism which aims to transform the world into a blood sea. We have seen this reality in its clearest form during the terrorist attacks in Istanbul.

What we have to do today is that the Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, other religion members and the ones without religion meet around peace and tolerance, and develop an attitude in order to stop this destroying mentality. The states have here also a big duty. The prevention of terrorism composed of not only increasing the defence expenditures, but also overcoming the social inequality which lays the ground for the birth of terrorism, and improving the mutual understanding between the communities and nations.

We condemn severely again the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks, and call the states, mass media and especially the communities to the imperturbability, and instead of extermination, to the solidarity on the ground of tolerance.