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CNN Live Sunday

Thousands of Muslims Gather in London to Air Grievances

Aired September 15, 2002 - 17:08   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Suspicion and resentment between Muslims and Westerners took center stage today at one of the largest Islamic gatherings since the September 11 attacks. Thousands of Muslims from all over Europe gathered in London airing their grievances with the West. Senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers was there.
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WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Organizers promised 10,000 Muslims from all over Europe, but there seemed many more. Their London conference on the role of Muslims in the West began with a prayer, but then Europe's Islamists vented their anger.

DR. IMRAN WAHEED, EVENT CO-COORDINATOR: Muslims in Pakistan have been rounded up in a crackdown on so-called terrorist groups. The Muslims of Palestinian have been killed in Ariel Sharon's own domestic war on terror.

WALEED GUBARA, LECTURER: Is there any doubt on your mind that there is a clash of civilizations.

RODGERS: These are not Britain's most radical Muslims but there was a universal resentment of American power and the Muslim world's impotence.

In a video shown at the conference, a narrator asked, "How do we channel our feelings?" He answered with a video of the suicide attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. The speakers tried to convince the faithful that the historic decline if Islam has been arrested.

IMAM ISSAM AMIREN, ISLAMIC PREACHER: Not long ago in history the Islamic state was the greatest state in the world and the world order was completely different. The West is afraid of this type of state being reestablished.

RODGERS: The traditional European fear that Islam is out to dominate Europe is seldom below the surface here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A year ago I was not a racist. Now I'm becoming a racist because of this sort of thing.

RODGERS: This past week, at London's more radical Finsbury (ph) Mosque, one sheik addressed some contradictions.

SHEIKH OMAR BAKRI, BRITISH MUSLIM: The message we send to the people of the West is that is Islam is a message of peace for those who want to live in peace with Islam and with Muslims. And Islam is a message of war for those who want to declare war against Islam and Muslims.

RODGERS (on camera): Muslims often complain that with the collapse of the old Soviet Union the West found a new enemy in Islam. Yet battling Western ideas, especially capitalism, like the old Communist before them, seems a major tenant of the Europe's newly resurgent Islamic community.

GUBARA: The source if Islam is revelation. What's the source of capitalism, is that which was agreed upon by man. Indeed, the Islamic threat is a clear and present danger to capitalism.

RODGERS: The overwhelming sentiment among these European Muslims is that they do not want to be integrated into Europe. Instead, they said, they want to change Europe.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

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