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Police chief’s green ribbons for Muslims

The Guardian, UK
Aug. 13, 2005
Helen Carter
politics.guardian.co.uk

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Sunday August 14, 2005

There have been pink ribbons to raise money for breast cancer research, yellow ribbons for people who have been kidnapped and red ribbons for those suffering from HIV/Aids.

Now thousands of green ribbons are to be distributed to show support for Muslim communities after the London bombings last month.

Nottinghamshire police’s Good Faith ribbon campaign is sending the green ribbons to libraries, police stations, council offices and shops across the county. The initiative was launched at an Islamic school yesterday by chief constable Steve Green.

He said it was a way of showing solidarity with the Muslim community, which has suffered a backlash following the terror attacks.

Racially motivated incidents in Nottingham have increased by 50% since London’s transport system was bombed, he said. “We are united in facing the challenges that last month’s tragic events have put upon us.

“But by far the biggest task which we have undertaken [since July] has been giving reassurance to the community.”

He said there had been a particular focus on the needs of Muslims because there has been a significant increase in racist incidents in Nottingham.

Islam / Islamism

Islamism is a totalitarian ideology adhered to by Muslim extremists (e.g. the Taliban, Wahhabis, Hamas and Osama bin Laden). It is considered to be a distortion of Islam. Many Islamists engage in terrorism in pursuit of their goals.

Adherents of Islam are called “Muslims.” The term “Arab” describes an ethnic or cultural identity. Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs. The terms are not interchangeable.

Understanding Islamic Terrorism: Muhammad, Islam and Terrorism

Read up on Islam

Read up on Islamism

Research resources on islam

Research resources on islamism

Mohamed Musharf, imam of the Karimia Institute and principal of Nottingham Islamia School, said he was delighted. The Muslim community had felt besieged and victimised.

Nick Palmer, Labour MP for Broxtowe, said: “If we are saying to the Muslim community that we want them to work with us in catching terrorists and defeating extremism, then in the same breath we have to say that we will support them when moderate people are treated badly.”

Some 20,000 ribbons are being made.