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Faith leaders express their outrage
Church of England Newspaper
July 15, 2005
Faith leaders have united to express their outrage at the terrorist bombings in London.
The attacks, which killed more than 50 people and injured 700, took place at the height of the morning rush hour last Thursday.
Faith leaders joined the Archbishop of Canterbury in denouncing the attacks. In a joint statement, Jewish, Muslim and Christian denominational leaders said: "It [terrorism] is an evil that cannot be justified and that we utterly condemn and reject. It is vital when many will be feeling anger bewilderment and loss, to strengthen those things we hold in common and to resist all that seeks to drive us apart."
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, called for unity in the aftermath of the tragedies. He said: "Such solidarity and common purpose is vital for us all at this time of pain and sorrow and anger.
"We in the faith communities will have to continue to stand and work together for the well being of our nation and for our shared understanding of the life that God calls us to. I hope that we shall all keep that vision alive at this deeply sad and testing time."
The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, said: "The attack on London is not an attack on presidents and men of power but an attack on ordinary Londoners travelling to work by bus and tube."
He added: "The bombs went off without warning and were obviously intended to cause indiscriminate slaughter of Londoners. Christians and Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs all without distinction."
The bishop urged Londoners to "show the spirit of this city, a spirit of unity, a spirit of defiance and a spirit of compassion for all who are suffering."
The spiritual head of the 200 million-strong worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, strongly condemned the acts of terror.
"The perpetrators have demonstrated a total disregard for sanctity of human life and obsession for violence. Terrorism of any kind has no place in religion. The holy Qur'an likens anyone who takes the life of innocent people as one who has committed a crime against all of humanity," he said.
Three of the bombs went off almost simultaneously on underground trains just outside Liverpool Street and Edgeware Road stations as well as on a train travelling in between Kings Cross and Russell Square. The final explosion took place on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square.
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