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September 13, 2006
Norway: US Embassy Responds to Lying Imam
We reported on September 11 that a Pakistani imam in Norway, Zulqamain Sakandar Madni, had cast doubt on the involvement of Muslims in the horrors of 9/11. He had suggested that Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda did not exist.
Today, Aftenposten reports that the US Embassy in Norway has responded to the imam's claims, and claimed that Madni's statements, "spreading false stories to protect terrorists is destructive".
The Oslo-based embassy said in a statement: "The UN has listed Osama bin Laden as a terrorist and Al Qaeda as a terrorist organization, and the attacks on September 11 affected the whole world. We find it offensive and sad that a spiritual leader would defend terrorists by seeking to blame others for their actions."
Madni's mad ranting was criticised by Mohammad Hamdan, who heads the Islamic Council in Norway. Hamdan said: "It is not the first time Muslims or non-Muslims have come with such statements (of conspiracies). He has of course the right to express himself, but I urge imams to concentrate on educating young Muslims in religion and not to think too much about difficult questions one is not 100 percent sure about."
He continued: "Among the roughly 3,000 who died in the World Trade Center there were 150 Muslims. A good many Muslims do not believe a Muslim can have carried out such an act. Now I urge the imams to concentrate on religious questions and teach the new generation that terrorism conflicts with Islam. The most important thing for the Islamic Council Norway is not who is behind it, but how we can fight terrorism and live together in peace, without prejudice."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at September 13, 2006 9:11 AM
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