Foiled terror plot: Staring into the abyss

Hope we’re right this time

For all the distrust that British Muslims have had of the police and government since 9/11, the events of July 7 2006 left many speechless and introspective. Similarly, the Forest Gate and De Menezes intelligence failures left the police and non-Muslim observers scratching their heads. Now that 24 suspects (all apparently British Muslims) have been arrested in a liquid explosive terror plot involving flights from London’s Heathrow airport to the US, this dichotomy stands to increase by an order of magnitude – depending on who’s judgement turns out to be correct. Initial reactions from British Muslim leaders have been built on post-Forest Gate cynicism. “Over the last few years we have seen many high-profile raids like this plastered over the press to terrify the public,” said Fahad Ansari, of the Islamic Human Rights Commission. “We have seen it time and time again.” Others claim that the arrests were made to divert attention from the crisis in Lebanon. However, as speculation on the plot details continues – the discovery of “martyrdom tapes,” simultaneous arrests in Pakistan, and pending information by an agent who infiltrated the group – there is a potential of devastating consequences to the British Muslim community if proven. “There has been a lot more intelligence,” adds Khalid Mahmood, a Birmingham Labour MP, soberly. “The authorities have not just relied on people informing … but have done surveillance themselves for some time. This has not been something which has been rushed.” Supporting this view, the entire investigation may have started from one phone call by a worried member of the Muslim community following the July 7th attacks. Meanwhile, US President George Bush deviated from traditional semantic decorum, calling the arrested “Islamic fascists” while thanking Prime Minster Tony Blair – on holiday in Barbados – for “busting this plot” (both apparently knew of the plot in advance). Others are bringing up the “Q-word,” noting familiar modus operandi for other successful attacks by other “passionate amateurs” in Madrid, Mumbai, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, hapless August holidaymakers have been ordered to check in their liquids and taste their baby milk while the search for missing suspects continues. But for British Muslims, the differing points of view ultimately stem from very significant problems – the real potential for home-grown terrorist activity within Muslim communities and the ability of police to tackle it without inflaming the sentiments of those caught in the middle. While both issues need to be tackled through cooperation, the fallout from these arrests risks marginalising one of them (the terror risk) or compounding both (since alienation could breed yet more home-grown terror). The stakes could not be higher.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.