On July 17, 1500 people rallied in London in solidarity with the
victims of the July 7 London bombings and in opposition to the rising
racism and Islamophobia that has resulted.

Since the bombings, the Muslim community has been subject to numerous
racist attacks, including many cases of violent assault and verbal
abuse in the street and attacks on mosques, including racist graffiti,
smashed windows and arson. One man has died as a result of a racist
attack in Nottingham.

PM Tony Blair has helped to fan the flames of racism. He has denied
there is any connection between the London bombings and the war in Iraq
and instead laid the responsibility for the bombings at the feet of the
Muslim community. The government and the media continue to repeat the
mantra that to avoid further bomb attacks the Muslim community must
"put its house in order".

The rally on Sunday began the fight-back against the media and
Labour's racist response to the bombings. There were numerous
speakers from the Muslim community, some from Leeds, including Dr Assam
Tamimi of the Muslim Association of Britain. Right-wing commentators
and Labour MPs have said that Tamimi and the MAB should be investigated
by the authorities for its views. He was not invited to a meeting
between Muslim "leaders" and the government on Wednesday to discuss
the Muslim community's role in preventing further bombings.

All the speakers condemned the bombings and expressed sympathy for the
families, and disagreed with the government's claims that the invasion
of Iraq and Afghanistan had ntohing to do with the bombings.

Dr Tamimi called on Muslim leaders not to bow to pressure: "I am not
responsible for July 7. I condemn it. I did not make those boys angry.
I did not send the troops to Iraq. We shouldn't feel guilty. Who is the
guilty one? Tony Blair!"

Lindsay German, the convenor of the Stop the War coalition, said:
"The government is saying that the Muslim community should put their
house in order, but we have to ask the government to put its own house
in order.

"The only way to end the bombings is to withdraw from Afghanistan,
Iraq and Palestine. When we have justice around the world we will have
peace as well."

Warsana al Tikriti, a young woman from the MAB in Leeds, said: "I
feel we are being branded as terrorists. But the bombs did not
discriminate [on the basis of] faith and colour. Bush and Blair's war
on terror has not made the world safer. It has brought more hate and
bloodshed. This will only rise unless policies are changed."

Respect MP George Galloway ended the rally with an expression of
solidarity and unity with persecuted Muslims. "Do not believe the
ministers, the MPs and the stooge journalists who say they see no
connection. They are lying to us all over again. They are trying to
fool us.

"The war on terror has left the world in danger and turmoil. If the
witch-hunters want to get Azzam Tamimi, they will have to get through
me and the anti-war movement first.

"We will stand shoulder to shoulder telling the truth. Only the truth
will get us out of the terrible morass into which the liars have put
us."