Mubarak: Islam denounces all sorts of violence, terror
Egypt, Politics, 12/12/2001

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday stressed that Islam condemns terrorism and deplores all forms of violence. He added that Islam calls for security, peaceful coexistence and cooperation among all nations.

In his keynote speech to the nation to mark Lailat Al-Qadr, the night in which the Koran, the Muslims' holy book, was revealed on Prophet Muhammad President Mubarak said Egypt had strongly condemned the September 11 attacks on the United States.

"Egypt and the rest of Arab and Muslim countries, without hesitation, clearly showed readiness to cooperate with the international community to fight terrorism and uproot this phenomenon," said Mubarak.

Mubarak also recalled his own invitation, early in the 1990s, for an international conference to discuss the phenomenon of terrorism.

He added that despite its rejection of terrorism, Islam was linked to the September 11 attacks because several suspects were Arabs or Muslims.

Mubarak said that a worldwide fight against terrorism will not succeed unless it addresses the political, social and economic roots of terror.

"The international community's failure to address the plight of nations under occupation will force them to counter aggression with violence. Frustration and despair encourage oppressed people to sacrifice their lives for their case, because they do not see any meaning for a life without rights or dignity," Mubarak said.

He called for the resumption of Middle East peace negotiations to reach a just and comprehensive solution to all peace tracks, including the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese ones. "This is the only way for the Middle East nations to live in peace," he said.

Mubarak also warned against the danger of linking Islam to terrorism, despite the fact that some of the September 11 attack suspects are Muslims. "This baseless link," he cautioned, "will ignite feelings of hatred among nations." Mubarak said that despite the attacks on the US, Islam remains an indispensable component in building the New World Order.

During the ceremony, held in Cairo last night, the Egyptian leader also honoured key Muslim scholars and winners of an international competition for Koran recitation.

Previous Stories:
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  Maher condemns Israeli repressive measures against Palestinians   (12/11/2001)
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