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Britain's Muslim Community Reacts to Terror Investigations; Relaese of the New Harry Potter Book

Aired July 15, 2005 - 14:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Back on track at Guantanamo Bay. Military trials for suspected terrorists. A federal appeals court overturns a ruling that put the progress -- or the process on hold. And the progress. The three-judge panel in Washington ruled al Qaeda and its members do not enjoy protections of the Geneva Conventions.
The government says Canadian beef could enter this country next week fort the first time since the mad cow scare of 2003. Yesterday, a federal appeals court overturned the ruling by a judge in Montana that said Canadian beef represents a continuing threat. The Justice Department says lifting the ban is based on good science.

And a wildfire south of Tucson, Arizona, is closer to being contained. But officials say it still threatens several dozen homes and lodges and an observatory.

The London bomb investigation shifts to Egypt. Cairo police are questioning this Egyptian biochemist right there in connection with the attacks. Magdy El-Nashar has detained at Cairo Airport. Officials say he's denied any involvement in the bombings. His name, though, surfaced during a search in London. A U.S. official says a number found in a cell phone led investigators to him. El-Nashar has lived in Britain since 2000.

Now, the London bombings have focused attention on Britain's Muslim minority, particularly the country's Muslim youth.

CNN's Zain Verjee has been talking to two young British Muslims in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I'm sitting on the tube, what do I know? The person sitting next to me, what are they thinking about me? I can't put my bag next to me in my seat, because I think people are going to think that I'm going to blow them up. I have to put it on my lap.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Taking the subway has become a tense ordeal for 22-year-old Khadija El-Shayyal. Exactly one week after London's terror attacks, I met Kadeejah on her college campus, where she studies legal and political theory.

She tells me she once thought it unrealistic or sensationalist to think there were Muslim sleeper cells in Britain, poised to attack. Now, sitting in the campus quad, she tells of her struggle to understand why young British Muslims turned to terror.

KHADIJA EL-SHAYYAL, BRITISH MUSLIM: When I think about it, I'm almost at loss, because it's...

VERJEE: She goes on to say, maybe they just felt alienated.

EL-SHAYYAL: The fact that a lot of Muslim kids won't drink. When they're with their peers, it's like they're often viewed as really strange and really weird. Why? It's just a different life choice.

VERJEE: Her own experiences, she says, have been similar, but she's handled her challenges differently.

EL-SHAYYAL: Sometimes the impression I get with my interactions of people about Muslim is that they don't fully understand where I'm coming from. That's not something I can blame them for.

VERJEE: Khadija tells me it's unsettling to think the terrorists were Muslims. She pauses for a moment to reflect.

EL-SHAYYAL: So young. It's really sad, because they're really vulnerable. And they've obviously been manipulated, and that's really sad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey.

VERJEE: At a Trafalgar Square vigil for victims of the attacks, Khadija meets her friends. Like her, they have come to express their solidarity with their fellow Londoners.

Khadija's brother Jamal is there, too, helping with the organization of the event by giving out balloons for the grand finale. I ask him what could have motivated young Muslim men to murder.

JAMAL EL-SHAYYAL: One is ignorance of one's religion and ignorance how to register the sense and opposition to polices that may disagree with. The second is social deprivation and economic deprivation. You've got half of Britain's Muslims, one million of them live in London. 28 percent of them are unemployed. A large number of them don't get into higher education. Then you've got frustration at foreign policy and domestic policy.

VERJEE: The day ended with balloons floating beyond Nelson's Column, then high above a church, and prayers for peace and pleas for unity and harmony.

Zain Verjee, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Joining me now to talk about reaction and emotions inside Leeds' Muslim community is Tabasum Aslam. He is a city counselor in the English city of Dewsbury and he is a member of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee. He joins us from Leeds, where some of the suspected London bombers live. My first question to you is, I can see in the background, authorities have brought in sandbags. There's also a front-end loader there. What are you hearing about what is going on in this investigation right now?

TABASUM ASLAM, DEWSBURY, ENGLAND COUNCILMAN: Well, I've just come back to this area now. I have seen some activity going on. I've not really been able to comprehend exactly what is going on. But, I mean, I have seen sand sacks, or it just seems like some kind of explosive materials have been found (INAUDIBLE) the public tried to destroy them in a controlled fashion.

NGUYEN: What kind of an effect have the attacks and the investigation that's currently taking place had on your community?

ASLAM: Well, I mean, the recent news that we have heard is that somebody has been arrested from Egypt, is probably an academic from this area who has gone back on holiday to his home country. There -- one of the comments that I just heard from by to a few people is that everybody has become a suspect. And we're all, like, under suspicion at the moment, because until we do not really find the real perpetrator who has really masterminded this, until then, we're all under suspicion. And nothing (INAUDIBLE) that we're all under -- that who -- probably the guy is innocent, but because he has traveled in the same time, he had this chemical background, he became a suspect and now he's under arrest.

NGUYEN: Has that caused fear, anger, frustration within the community? The fact that they have -- everyone has become a suspect there?

ASLAM: The frustration among Muslims, that has been there for years because, coming from being a Muslim myself, being brought up as Muslim, I can tell you and assure you one thing: that we have seen Muslims being murdered and butchered throughout the world. If you want to talk about Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, the list can go on.

The frustration has always been there. That's been a failure of, I will say, of the foreign policy. The second failure has also come from the media, where they have misrepresented Muslims and Islam. That has added to the frustration. And one other failure has come from our own mosque system, where they not really been able to channel this frustration -- well, actually, identify that frustration and channel through appropriate democratic systems.

NGUYEN: You're a city counselor there. When you hear this frustration, this anger, how do you tell members of the community to handle it, to counter it, and to deal with this situation and overcome it?

ASLAM: Well, I mean, the biggest problem is the avenues have not been told how to the Muslim, how they can channel this frustration out. I mean, I work with the Muslim Public Affairs Committee. And, as being part of Muslim Public Affairs Committee, we ask people to get involved in the political system. Go and join political parties. Go and try to become elected members. Go and try, lobby your local representatives. That is the only way the government will listen to you and your elected members can further lobby other M.P.s before this kind of legislation or foreign policy has been put together, so that it's representing the 1.5 to two million Muslims living in this country.

NGUYEN: It has to be a rollercoaster of emotions in that community, because on one hand, there is that frustration that there's undue pressure. And, like you say, many in a community are considered suspects just because of where they live and who they are. But at the same time, there's also this shock -- there has to be a sense of shock that the suspects came from the community in which you live?

ASLAM: Sorry. You'll have to repeat that again. Because of some background noise, I've not been able to hear.

NGUYEN: Yes, I understand the investigation is under way behind you. But there has to be a sense of shock. What kind of reaction have you gotten from community members for the fact that when they learned that some of the suspects came from Leeds, the community from which you live?

ASLAM: Sorry. I will apologize. Because of the sound, you have broken up. I've not been able to (INAUDIBLE) again.

NGUYEN: OK. Obviously, we're having some audio difficulties. We appreciate your time, Tabasum Aslam. We'll try to fix that audio and continue with this investigation. But thank you so much for your time today.

Well, the anticipation and excitement is building for Harry Potter fans worldwide. In just a few hours, the sixth book in author J.K. Rowlings' series will be released. We're live from London with that.

And look at this. An emotional good-bye at the British Open as players and fans salute the "Golden Bear." We're live from St. Andrews, Scotland.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Sibila Vargas. In Hollywood, Eminem's posse is rushed to the hospital. And Cameron Diaz takes the stand. We'll have those stories and more when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It is no doubt a big day in the publishing world, and we do mean world. Across the globe bedazzled readers are counting the hours until they get there hands on the new Harry Potter book. CNN's Paula Hancock is standing by live in London amid all the craze. Hi, Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty. That's right. It's just over four hours now until the witching hour. There are millions of children around the world who are waiting for Harry Potter book number six. And they will be getting it this evening. Now many places across the world are carrying out events tonight. I don't even want to hazard a guess at how many children are wearing wizard outfits, also how many adults as well.

Of course it's not just a children's book, the publishers are saying they're going to have a separate cover just for the adults so they don't feel embarrassed when they're reading it on the Tube or on the Metro, etcetera.

Now J. K. Rowling herself is going to be having a great big bonanza herself up in Edinburgh. She's going to be in Edinburgh Castle at one minute past midnight -- that's U.K. time -- with about 2,000 children. She's going to be reading the first couple of chapters of her book. And she's going to be touring up with 17 tough reporters, from the age of 12 to 15, on four school characters. It's going to be a real theatrical performance.

But of course, this is very unlike what J.K. Rowling usually does. She loves to do things with the children. She very rarely likes to do things with the grownups.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boys and girls, ladies and gentleman, J.K. Rowling.

HANCOCKS (off camera): A welcome you'd normally expect for a rock star. The woman who brought the world Harry Potter has secured a place in a generation's hearts. A phenomenal rise to stardom she can hardly believe herself.

J.K. ROWLING, HARRY POTTER AUTHOR: The first reading I ever did, there were two people who wandered into the basement of Waterstone's by mistake, and were too polite to leave when they saw someone was doing a reading, and they had to get all the staff in the shop downstairs to bulk out the crowd of it.

HANCOCKS: Two hundred and fifty million copies later, she could certainly hold her own in Waterstone's these days. The boy wizard has made Rowling the most successful author of her time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Famous Harry Potter can't even go into a book shop without making the front page.

HANCOCKS: Fiction reflects fact, thanks to the phenomenal success of her books and the movie adaptations. The Hogwarts Express sped Harry to wizadry; Harry's ability to sell sped a single mother on benefits to a spot as one of the wealthiest women in Britain.

A far cry from humble beginnings in Edinburgh, where she penned her first novel longhand in this cafe with her sleeping daughter by her side. J.K. Rowling even met Queen Elizabeth II last year, safe in the knowledge she was probably more wealthy than Her Highness. A Harry Potter fortune estimated at around $1 billion. J.K. Rowling has never put an exact figure on her wealth. In fact, she very rarely talks about her personal life at all, fiercely protective of herself, her husband, and her three children. She does not want fame to save her.

ROWLING: My day is really what it always was, which is trying to get time to write, which used to be very difficult because I'm a single parent and I was doing a day job. And now it's difficult because the phone never stops ringing so I still walk out the house to write.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS: Now these books are an absolute hit in 200 countries across the world. They've been translated into 62 languages and just in the United States alone, there are 10 million copies ready to be sold. Betty?

NGUYEN: And she's got more money than the Queen. We all need to write some books, Paula. Thank you.

Well up the road from London, the golf world has bid farewell to one of its greatest players yet. For that we go to Scotland. CNN's Don Riddell

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much. It's been a very emotional day here at St. Andrews in Scotland with the farewell of the great one, the "Golden Bear" Jack Nicklaus, after winning 18 Grand Slam titles. Many wonder if achievement will ever be surpassed. And he chose St. Andrews here, the old course, to bid farewell. It was very, very emotional. He came here today actually hoping to make the cut. He was hoping to say good-bye on Sunday rather than on Friday. But it wasn't to be in the end. He missed out by three stokes. But he really ended on a high, walking over the Swilken Bridge, one of the most iconic sites in world golf, and then sinking a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole to birdie. What a way to go out.

He actually managed to hold back the tears, but his wife Barbara, and his playing partner, his old rival and friend, Tom Watson, they didn't do so well with the tears. And in the end, Nicklaus said maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that he missed the cut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK NICKLAUS, PRO GOLFER: As I was coming down the last couple of holes, and as nice as the people were, I'm sitting there and I said, I don't think I really want to make the cut. People have given me so much that I wanted to be part of it, and enjoy it, and then not have to come back and do it again. And I mean obviously I was trying to make the cut, I would never not try to do that. But they were so wonderful that it was just a very, very special time.

RIDDELL: So all eyes now on the world No. 1. Tiger Woods. He is halfway to Nicklaus' total of 18 Grand Slam titles, he's got nine, and many think he could be making it 10 this weekend. You see, every time Jack Nicklaus announces his retirement from a major tournament, Tiger Woods goes on and wins it. And the way he's been playing so far, there's no reason to think that's not going to happen again. He won here when the Open was last at St. Andrews here five years go in 2000, tearing up the field and winning by eight strokes. And as we speak, he is four strokes clear, 11 under for the tournament, so far. The closest man on his tail is Colin Montgomery, a very popular scotsman, who is actually seven under, four strokes behind Montgomery. Now if Woods continues playing the way he has, I don't think anyone can stop him. But it should be a fascinating weekend with, as it looks at the moment Woods and Montgomery going off in the final pairing.

NGUYEN: Tiger's on the prowl. All right Don, we'll be watching.

Will movie-goers have a sweet tooth this weekend. It is the return of Willy Wonka. Sibila Vargas has the golden ticket in Entertainment. That is next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHHNY DEPP, ACTOR: Even I'm eatable. But that is called cannibalism, my dear children. That is, in fact, frowned upon in most societies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In entertainment news, actress Cameron Diaz testifies in court about topless photos taken of her before she was famous. And some shocking news for rapper Eminem. With those stories and much more, we turn to CNN's entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas in Los Angeles.

All right. What's this about Eminem?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eminem is OK, I'm glad to report. But his entourage is recovering in the hospital today, Betty.

On Wednesday, reports say the rap star's tour bus hit two trucks and then overturned on a Missouri highway. Eminem was not on the bus at the time, so he's OK. But police say it was traveling at a high rate of speed when the accident happened. Eleven people were injured in all, but only three people from the tour bus were hurt. Eminem's DJ, body guard and a protege all suffered minor injuries.

Actress Cameron Diaz admits she posed topless more than a decade ago to advance her career, but she says she didn't sign a release for for those pictures. The 32-year-old took the stand and testified in a L.A. courtroom yesterday. She testified against photographer John Rutter. Rutter is charged with perjury, forgery and attempted grand theft.

Diaz claims Rutter told her he had pictures that she had taken years ago. And that if she didn't pay him $5 million for the pictures, he would sell them to someone else. Diaz also says Rutter forged her signature on the release form. And he denies all of the charges. And at first, it was Janet Jackson's Super Bowl incident. Then it was Paris Hilton's racy hamburger commercials. Now it's Live-8, a performance by Live-8 that the Parents Television Counsel is targeting. The group says during Live-8, the Who -- the group the Who sang "Who Are You" and used an expletive. The PTC filed a complaint with the FCC asking the federal agency to levy a fine against ABC for not censoring the profanity. The event was held to help fight poverty in Africa.

And finally, there's something for the family and something for single people this weekend at the movies. The films, "The Wedding Crasher" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" are opening. Actors Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn star in "The Wedding Crashers," while Johnny Depp will take the role as Willy Wonka in "Charlie in the Chocolate Factory." Industry experts hope it will help the overall box office slump.

And that's your news from Hollywood.

It will be interesting to see Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.

NGUYEN: Yeah. And "The Wedding Crashers," that just floors me. I mean, who does that?

VARGAS: I don't know. Only Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn -- just the perfect guys to be cast in that movie.

NGUYEN: Thanks, Sibila.

Shuttle watch: Another delay announced for Discovery. We are live from Kennedy Space Center with those details.

A day in the life of Baghdad's mayor. We're going to be talking about that. What it's like to run a city in the midst of war. We'll find out in the next hour of LIVE FROM.

But first, hear's a quick check at the stock markets. Looking at the Dow right now, it's up 13 points at 10,642. And the NASDAQ is up 3 points.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Now in the news. We are learning some information out of Philadelphia. Look at these pictures. At least four people have been injured after a fire truck and a car collided in West Philadelphia. You can see right there the fire truck is on top of that car. Now this crash, the collision, sent both vehicles into a building.

We're getting some sketchy reports, one is saying that it's into a house, another saying its into a business. It kind of looks like in between both of those. The building on your left looks like the business there.

Now, firefighters are trying to free the people inside the car. Two fireman and two others have been taken to area hospitals. Several injuries have reported.

But look at these pictures. At least four injuries after a fire truck and a car have collided in West Philadelphia. We'll continue to monitor this story.

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