British Muslims condemn London's silence on Israeli war crimes

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) today condemned the continuing failure of the British government to bring the Zionist regime to account over its latest war crimes in Lebanon.

"Had these mass killings and the accompanying savage destruction of towns been carried out by a Muslim government, we do not think our government would have remained silent," said MCB Secretary General Muhammad Abdul Bari.

Bari said that Britain's 1.8 million Muslim community was also "appalled by the pathetic statements from the Security Council and the G8 leaders." "By failing to condemn the Israeli actions under the pretext of 'self-defence' they have ipso facto given the Zionist fanatics more time to carry out their rape of Lebanon,' he warned.

The MCB, which represents over 400 affiliated Muslim organizations and mosques, said it condemned "in the strongest terms possible Israel's indiscriminate killing and criminal destruction of Lebanon's civilian infrastructure." "There is absolutely no doubt that Israel's actions constitute war crimes," it said. It called on the UK government and other contracting parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to condemn these "outrageous breaches of international humanitarian law."