Anti-Terrorism Summer Camp Attracts Young Muslims

Amid mainstream media coverage of Islamic extremists, we often forget that moderate Muslim leaders frequently speak out against terrorism and, in this case, organized a summer camp with the aim of discouraging Muslim youth from becoming extremists.

"Follow the Prophet Mohammed, don't follow bin Laden!" That was the message from an anti-terrorism summer camp led by a top scholar which attracted hundreds of young Muslims in Britain this week.

Al-Hidayah (The Guidance) was led by Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, who earlier this year issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, against terrorism.

His message to the roughly 1,300 people attending the three-day event on a university campus in Coventry, was clear -- terrorism is anti-Islamic.

And it was welcomed by members of the British Muslim community, which has been in the spotlight since the July 7, 2005 suicide attacks on London's public transport system killed 52 innocent people, plus the four young British Muslim extremists who blew themselves up.

"The thing he said about terrorism is a big thing to say," Anam Nazir, a young woman who attended the event, told AFP.

"I'm from Pakistan and I have never seen any scholar say things like that in the media because they're too scared... he's brave."

The event, which ended Monday, cost some 200 pounds per person to attend, including accommodation.

On the agenda were lectures about issues faced by Muslims living in the West such as terrorism, suicide bombing and integration as well as music and sports, plus prayers in the room which is usually the students' disco.

By: Shelldrake