Foiled terror plot: Staring into the abyss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The stakes in the fight against terrorism reach an all time high with allegations of a plot said to rival 9\/11. If not handled correctly, the problems on all sides could be compounded.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2006\/08\/staring_into_the_abyss\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Foiled terror plot: Staring into the abyss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The stakes in the fight against terrorism reach an all time high with allegations of a plot said to rival 9\/11. 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Hope we\u2019re right this time<\/div>\n

<\/p><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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<\/a>. Similarly, the Forest Gate and De Menezes intelligence failures left the police and non-Muslim observers scratching their heads. Now that 24 suspects<\/a> (all apparently British Muslims) have been arrested in a liquid explosive terror plot<\/a> involving flights from London\u2019s Heathrow airport to the US, this dichotomy stands to increase by an order of magnitude \u2013 depending on who\u2019s judgement turns out to be correct. Initial reactions from British Muslim leaders have been built on post-Forest Gate cynicism<\/a>. \u201cOver the last few years we have seen many high-profile raids like this plastered over the press to terrify the public,\u201d said Fahad Ansari, of the Islamic Human Rights Commission. \u201cWe have seen it time and time again.\u201d Others claim that the arrests were made to divert attention from the crisis in Lebanon<\/a>. However, as speculation on the plot details continues \u2013 the discovery of \u201c martyrdom tapes<\/a>,\u201d simultaneous arrests in Pakistan, and pending information by an agent who infiltrated<\/a> the group \u2013 there is a potential of devastating consequences to the British Muslim community if proven. \u201cThere has been a lot more intelligence,\u201d adds Khalid Mahmood, a Birmingham Labour MP, soberly. \u201cThe authorities have not just relied on people informing \u2026 but have done surveillance themselves for some time. This has not been something which has been rushed.\u201d Supporting this view, the entire investigation may have started from one phone call<\/a> 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 \u201c Islamic fascists<\/a>\u201d while thanking Prime Minster Tony Blair \u2013 on holiday in Barbados \u2013 for \u201cbusting this plot\u201d (both apparently knew of the plot in advance<\/a>). Others are bringing up the \u201c Q-word<\/a>,\u201d noting familiar modus operandi for other successful attacks by other \u201c passionate amateurs<\/a>\u201d in Madrid, Mumbai, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, hapless August holidaymakers have been ordered to check in their liquids<\/a> and taste their baby milk while the search for missing suspects<\/a> continues. But for British Muslims, the differing points of view ultimately stem from very significant problems \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.\n<\/p>\n

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