Re: The brutal and horrific terrorist attacks in London
Honorable members of Parliament of The United Kingdom,
The Islamic Front for Salvation (FIS), on behalf of the Algerian people, expresses its indignation against the brutal and horrific attacks of yesterday in London, and extends its sympathy to the families of the victims as well as to the people of the United Kingdom.
The FIS condemns strongly such acts of terror, which blindly target innocent people. These acts are unambiguously forbidden by our religion, Islam.
It is the right of the victims, their families, the British people, as well as the entire world to see the responsible of these horrible attacks be factually identified, put on trial and punished accordingly.
Honorable Members of Parliament of The United Kingdom,
The FIS, the elected party of majority in Algeria, at the historical parliamentary elections of December 1991, that were cancelled by the military regime, draws your attention to the opportunism of dictatorial regimes around the world which have been trying, since September the 11th, to take advantage of these tragic events in order to justify their prevention of democracy, freedom, and justice in their respective countries.
In Algeria, the army-generals behind the interruption of the democratic process, are presenting themselves these days as victims of the same terrorisms that has plunged into mourning the USA, Spain, and now the UK.
The army –general coup-makers, widely regarded as responsible for the atrocities perpetrated against the Algerian people, are in fact perverting the course of the world community justice – seeking efforts by accusing of terrorism the legitimately elected political representatives of the Algerian people.
Since the January 1992 military coup, the Algerian people have experienced one of the world most barbaric and ruthless military dictatorship. The human cost of that interruption of the democratic process includes tens of thousands of political prisoners, and as many victims of torture, which has become institutionalized, about 15,000 forcibly disappeared persons, a total death toll of at least 200,000 civilian, victims of summary executions and massacres, more than a million of internally displaced citizens, and hundreds of thousands of exiles and political refugees. The political, economic and social costs of the military intervention against the will of the Algerian people have been equally devastating.
Honorable members of Parliament of The United Kingdom,
Ignoring the repeated calls of FIS and other Algerian political parties, as well as of international human rights organizations, the military-coup makers have repeatedly rejected the setting up of expert, independent and impartial commissions of inquiry into all acts of violence and human rights violations, in particular the collective massacres, summary executions, torture and disappearances.
More, they have undermined various efforts to end the cycle of violence in Algeria, such as their ongoing attempts to dilute the national reconciliation project proposed recently by the actual President.
It is immoral and inhuman to consider such responsible of the plight of the Algerian people as partners and “experts” in the ongoing global war against terrorism.
Honorable members of Parliament of The United Kingdom,
The FIS would like to point out that peace and stability cannot be realized when injustice and aggression prevail or are perceived to do so. Depriving Muslim populations of a real democratic process has caused insecurity and an unstable political situation, as well as the deterioration of their socioeconomic condition. In fact, only the elite has benefited from the military’s intrusion into Muslim countries’ political arena.
Based on short-term considerations of order and stability, the world community seems to have accommodated itself to the various military institutions and their cruel interference in the political life Muslim countries, as well as to ignoring the basic human rights of most Muslims.
This attitude toward the Muslim world’s call for a change has alienated the West from those Muslim populations and has, to a certain extent, fulfilled the theory of western conspiracy against Islam. In turn, this has seen the radicalization of some frustrated Muslim youths and the ensuing formation of radical extremist groups.
Although small in number, these groups not only threaten world security, but also the Muslim world itself and its efforts for a positive movement toward freedom, justice, and economic prosperity.
Honorable members of Parliament of The United Kingdom,
Following the advice of dictatorial regimes in blaming Political Muslim activists for the terrorist acts committed by radical extremist groups will certainly not resolve the problem. The FIS believes that the only way to neutralize radical extremist groups is to fully implement the universal principle that the will of the people shall be the basis of the political authority of any country.
The FIS believes that it is high time to the world community to realize that the best response to such horrible events of London is to support the people’s right, all across the Muslim world, to freely elect civilian political authorities and to end the current reliance on ruling autocrats. Indeed, the people’s well-being is the real factor for long-term stability, global security, world economic prosperity, and hence for lasting peace.
The real threat comes from those who oppose political change and the Muslims’ right to freely choose their governments. Such people are the true enemy and the root cause of instability and insecurity in the world.
Honorable members of Parliament of The United Kingdom,
In these painful moments, on the aftermath of the tragic events of London, the FIS hopes that the people representatives all over the world will come to realize the necessity of taking the required measures which will prevent the radicalization of more youths and preclude radical extremists groups from recruiting them, hence sparing the world such horrors. Such measures must, in our view, include facilitating people’s recovery of their sovereignty, promoting genuine democratization and deterring dictatorships.
The Algerian people, its constitutionally Elected – Representatives, and the FIS will not spare any effort to help achieving such goals and remain open to a sincere and rewarding cooperation with the British people, its Honorable Representatives and its government, with a spirit of mutual respect and hard working towards freedom, justice, and respect for the will of all our peoples.
Yours faithfully,
Anwar N. Haddam
Elected Member of Parliament of Algeria (Dec. 1991)
On behalf of the Islamic Front for Salvation (FIS, Algeria)
Washington, DC, July 8th, 2005
