NB: THIS TRANSCRIPT WAS TYPED FROM A TRANSCRIPTION UNIT RECORDING AND NOT COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT: BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF MIS- HEARING AND THE DIFFICULTY, IN SOME CASES OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS, THE BBC CANNOT VOUCH FOR ITS ACCURACY. ........................................................................ PANORAMA KORAN AND COUNTRY RECORDED FROM TRANSMISSION: BBC-1 DATE: 14:10:01 ........................................................................ TELEPHONE. VOICE: (12.20pm) You fucking blackie bastards. You're all going to fucking get it. VIVIAN WHITE: The answer phone at the Birmingham Central Mosque shortly after September 11th. TELEPHONE VOICE: (12.20am) You black bastards. We're going to fucking cut your knockers off and shove 'em down your mouth. (1.24am) You're going to get blown up you dirty fucking bastards. (6.51am) You fucking Pakis. You're all going to fucking die now. Dr WAGIHA SYEDA I have been in this country for 30 years and I hadn't had any physical abuse to me. On the day of 11th September which was a Tuesday, two gentlemen, white gentlemen, it was a van and they put out their heads and they say "You Paki bastards". WHITE: The attacks on the USA were quickly and officially blamed on Islamic fundamentalists. A spate of attacks on Muslims in the UK followed, mosques were firebombed. Ordinary peaceful Muslims were frightened. SHAFQAT HUSSAIN There was a few kids were standing there, by the traffic lights, and one of them pointed to my car. He says "There is a terrorist". So one of the kids throw a stone to my windscreen. So before they do anything else, I drive through the red traffic lights. WHITE: The attack on the USA and the West's war against terrorism, has tested the Muslim minority and its sense of continuing integration and Britishness. This school in Birmingham was multicultural and proud of it. But the school couldn't insulate the children from anti-Muslim abuse. GIRL: A lot of people have been affected by this, maybe not all Muslims but some people have actually had attacks and some people have.. you get remarks in the street because people are quite angry. There have been sneers and they've been saying that "Oh you people are all the same, you're all terrorists, when I actually think it's totally against Islam, 110% that it does not say at all, and innocent lives have been killed and it's totally against Islam, and still people think that involves all Muslims and it doesn't. 2nd GIRL: My dad works for this agency, Islamic Relief Agency, and lots of people have been ringing like saying really nasty threat "We'll kill you if you don't do something about it" and it's really threatening like "We'll come and smash your windows." It's a bad name to Islam now what those people have done. WHITE: We first came to the Birmingham Central Mosque over three weeks ago, the largest mosque in the city with the second biggest Muslim population. Friday 21st September WHITE: This is a snapshot of one community of worshipers and the influences upon it over an intensely sensitive period. There are nearly two million Muslims in the UK. British and believers in a worldwide religion. Now the loyalties of the Muslim community were under intense public scrutiny. For Friday prayers the Birmingham Central Mosque was ringed by cameras. Western politicians had used language which showed limited understanding of Muslim feelings. Friday 14th September TONY BLAIR: (Speaking in the House) If, as appears likely, it is so-called Islamic fundamentalists, we know that they do not speak or act for the vast majority of decent law-abiding Muslims throughout this world. Sunday 16th September GEORGE BUSH: This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going take a while. WHITE: In reply, the two and a half thousand in this congregation were told by their religious leader, the Head Imam, how offensive he found some of the language used by Western politicians. IMAM: .. and of those leaders who only use words such as Islamic terrorists, Muslim terrorists, Muslim fundamentalists, and even worse - barbarians. And now this campaign has been officially given the name 'crusade'. All of this does not detract from the tragedy of last week. They should try to understand the causes of this tragedy. They should try to understand the feelings of communal Muslims. WHITE: The lay chairman of the mosque also preached. He said a trial of Osama bin Laden would be just. But war on Afghanistan would be no more justified than Hitler invading Europe. DR NASEEM: We were with them in mourning that tragedy. We are not with them in executing a further tragedy. This is barbarism. This is the route which Hitler took. He justified his action because he believed that he was right and he had a right to cross through different countries because he believed so. This kind of one sided belief was not acceptable to the civilised community then, it should not be acceptable now. We condemn it wholeheartedly. WHITE: And afterwards, the elders, from the Committee of the Mosque agreed that it was reasonable in this case to compare President Bush to Hitler. Dost MOHAMMED KHAN Secretary, Birmingham Central Mosque What my Chairman has said and what he means is that anybody who is taking unilateral action against innocent people to bring death and destruction to them like Hitler did, can be likened to him. We have, like my Chairman has said earlier, we have no objection in America seeking justice. But revenge - no. BUSH: ... this crusade... (Muslim Community) MAN: When we have the word 'crusade' it brings up certain pictures to us as Muslims and I feel confused and abandoned by everything that I've been brought up to believe. 2nd MAN: Just excuse. WHITE: Just excuse to do what? 3rd MAN: Just to bomb the Muslims, isn't it. 4th MAN: Is this war against terrorism or is this war against Muslims. 5th MAN: That's all we want to know. 6th MAN: To be honest with you I'm scared right now. I'll be in fear for my people, I mean not me, individual, but my brothers and my sisters, people who can't live with this. WHITE: As young Muslims here, where will you feel your responsibility lies? 7th MAN: Stands by the Muslims. WHITE: In what way? 7th MAN: In any way that needs. 8th MAN: It won't do any good to kill innocent people, children, women, old men. Catch the culprit with the proof. Kill him, we are with you. TELEPHONE VOICE: (Sunday 5.28pm) Fucking ?? you black Muslim bastards. You're all going to be burnt out of ??. You're all going to die. WHITE: They'd already thought of installing CCTV cameras in the mosque before the September 11th attack on the World Trade Centre. Now the installation seemed more urgent. SHAUKAT LAL Official, Birmingham Central Mosque There is tension around where people don't understand and they are showing hate and showing racist remarks. Being in a mosque is a safe place but we have to also be very careful because it could be a target as well. WHITE: Settled in a comfortable villa in a Birmingham suburb Dr Naseem the lay Chairman of the mosque, a retired GP with a small private practice, appears the very model of successful integration into UK society. So when did you get all this going? DR NASEEM: I started in 1980 when I went to a show here and they were showing some chickens which were supposed to be an Indian breed. WHITE: As a hobby he keeps rare chickens, the perfect English Muslim country gentleman. But he remembers ignorance and prejudice as a junior hospital doctor. Dr MOHAMMAD NASEEM Chairman, Birmingham Central Mosque One very interesting question that I was asked once by one of the staff nurses, whether in Pakistan or India.. I think she called it India, we ate our meal sitting on trees. That was quite amusing. That also showed me the extent of lack of knowledge that existed in England. WHITE: Did that make you feel perhaps less at home? DR NASEEM: No, I had a good laugh, that was it, it was the end of the story. WHITE: So the young doctor from Pakistan made Britain his home and settled in, uncomplainingly, and he has no doubt as to how he sees his religion and his nationality. DR NASEEM: I am British and Muslim. Islam is my faith, British is my nationality. That would always be the fact. WHITE: Dr Hani, another member of the first generation to come here, is the Managing Director of the charity Islamic Relief. He explains that Islam, for the devout, is a complete way of life. But he says it perfectly co-exists with being British. Dr HANI EL-BANNA Managing Director, Islamic Relief Prayer is the link between the slave and God, and it's an active purification of soul and total submission to God. I am not an Islamic fundamentalist as the media portrays. But I love to understand my religion and by understanding my religion will make me a good citizen. WHITE: And there is no sense of the community being pulled in different ways at present in your view? HANI: I don't think so. I think it's an era of time when it will settle down because the British community at large is the most tolerant community I have seen in Europe and America. WHITE: For UK Muslims there are potentially competing ties of religion and nationality, of Britishness versus the custom and culture in the countries where their families originally came from. WHITE: But in Birmingham the evidence of British Muslims ingeniously and successfully integrating and blending all these influences over many years is there in lights. But some in the younger generation see things differently. They view themselves as Muslims first and embrace radical Muslim ideologies? SHAMSUD DIN I'd just like to say that Islam is total against terrorism, against innocent people. Second thing I'd like to say is that Taliban is the only problem Muslim government. The third thing I would like to say is when Taliban are saying, when we all are saying, that hand in the proof of the Osama bin Laden or whoever, we are all with you. WHITE: Islam is a worldwide religion. To some of these young men it's even more than that. They believe literally in the concept of one all embracing worldwide Islamic nation. AMAR MAHMOOD Islam has its own economic system, it's own foreign policy, and Islam has got its own law system. And to be a Muslim you have to follow Islam in totality. You can't take.. water down a version of Islam. The Western ideology contradicts the Islamic ideology. In the capitalist ideology, the man has right to make laws. But in Islam, we have no choice in enforcing the law. Where the law comes from God you just have the choice in applying the law. Those who follow the Koran in its complete form, the West call them terrorist, or extremist. Propaganda video There is no way to demolish except by jihad, bullets and martyrs operation. The father he tried to protect his son, but to no avail... Look how bullets pierced walls and the innocent boy. The father called to the Jews.. "Stop, stop, stop" but they did not. WHITE: This is an excerpt from a video now being bought by some young Muslims. It promotes the views of Osama bin Laden, accused by the West of organising September 11th. Called "The State of the Nation of Muslims" sequence after sequence shows Muslims under attack. It's on sale in Birmingham. The co-owner of the book shop and news agency that's selling it, Imran Kahn, who claims 500 sales a week, also worships at the mosque. IMRAN KHAN Bookshop owner & writer Many young men are buying this video. WHITE: Why? KHAN: It's because.. firstly it's that they want to see what's happening in the Muslim world, maybe more so than other people, and secondly is that they feel that maybe they can do something to help the Muslims. WHITE: Well if they follow the advice of the video, they'll be taking up arms wouldn't they. KHAN: I don't know. WHITE: The video says, in the voice of Osama bin Laden "Prepare yourself for war." KHAN: Yes, that's right. WHITE: So that's what it's for. KHAN: No, the video has got clips of speeches made by Osama bin Laden which again have been shown all over the world media. WHITE: It says the only way to combat the humiliation is through bullets and martyrs. KHAN: That's right, that's what he says. Saturday 22nd September Those being questioned by anti-terrorist branch officers were arrested in London and Birmingham. Three are in their 20s and all four are being held under the prevention of terrorism act. WHITE: It was the day after the main prayer service. The police raided a house a couple of streets away from the mosque. Is it the case that this is where a man was taken away for questioning? OFFICER: I'm not prepared to say anything but if you contact the Press Office ?? House I'm sure they'll fill in what they're prepared to release but certainly there's nobody here that can talk to you. WHITE: The man who was arrested was a 44 year old mature student. He was a member of the congregation at the mosque. THOMAS NOCK He's a Muslim as far as I know. He kept himself to himself. He took his kids to school and they come back, and if we seen him we said good morning, we said hello to the kids and that was it. I mean it is a Muslim area anyway. I mean we're told that 99% of 'em are alright so it's such a shock to find that you can have people living next door to you and you don't know who they are. WHITE: The man was held for 7 days then released without charge. The risk of terrorism and it's aftermath damaging relations within the community was now obvious. The security services called at other addresses in Birmingham too. In March last year MI5 had raided Imran Khan's bookshop where the Osama bin Laden video is on sale. After September 11th they said they had a few more questions to put to him. IMRAN KHAN Bookshop owner & writer MI5 said to us that we.. essentially what they said was that we know... they used the term "nasty people abroad" this was the term they used, that "we know nasty people abroad" and therefore they wanted to talk to us to give them information and that we were allegedly involved with terrorist activities abroad, and this is what they said to us. Obviously this was false. This was just lies and allegations, and hence we were never charged, and it never got to court or anything like that. WHITE: Do you know - as they put it - "nasty people abroad"? Do you know people who are engaged in training for terrorism? KHAN: None whatsoever, no. We are writers and journalists. We have done books on Afghanistan, on Pakistan, on Chechnya, we've done interviews with certain people who have gone abroad to training camps in Pakistan. We've done interviews with people who have gone to fight in Kashmir. As Muslims our sympathies have to lie with the Muslim cause. WHITE: Have to? KHAN: They have to lie with the Muslim cause. WHITE: All Muslim causes? KAHN All Muslim causes. WHITE: Some of the Muslim minority were bound to see things differently from the UK majority, not just because of their religion but because of old family ties. In Birmingham some of the congregation come from Afghanistan, and many more come from the same ethnic group within Pakistan. Afghanistan, now threatened with a war on terrorism, seemed very close to them. Islamic Relief, who have a mission to Afghanistan, is a Birmingham based charity. One of the ways they raise money is by collecting, sorting and selling clothes from their headquarters in the city. They collect at the mosque. They have had hate calls here too since the terrorist attacks in America. One of their aid workers, a British convert to Islam, only recently returned from Afghanistan. MOHAMMAD IMRAN Islamic Relief The Afghan nation is not, in its entirety, guilty of the appalling crimes that were committed in New York and Washington a couple of weeks ago. They need a resolve on the part of Western leaders, on the part of the populations in the West, to see the Afghanis as human beings, just as they are in the West, and not to lay the blame of the actions of a few extremists at their door. WHITE: Attempting to build as wide a coalition for military action as possible, in London Tony Blair met some leaders of the UK and Muslim community, seeking to reassure them and to include them. Thursday 27th September TONY BLAIR: And let me underline also very forcibly to you, our fight is not with Islam or indeed with the people of Afghanistan. Our fight is with those who planned these terrible atrocities and those who harbour them. Islam is a peace loving, tolerant religion. We share the same values... WHITE: And he pledged an extra 25 million pounds of aid to Afghanistan and declared that the West should build a new humanitarian coalition as well. The next day at the main service of the Mosque, the Head Imam had his opportunity to respond to Number 10's diplomacy. America had moved as well and changed the name of its battle plan against terrorism, dropping the words 'infinite justice'. Friday 28th September HEAD IMAM: Everything is glossed over by saying "Oh we still respect Imam. We will change the name 'infinite justice' to 'enduring freedom'. We are mindful of the feelings of Muslims." Allowing Muslims to suffer and die, imposing sanctions which have robbed the country of billions, not just millions but billions, and then offering 50 million whilst at the same time amassing fire power that runs into the billions is an insult. WHITE: The Imam preached to his congregation the message that politicians couldn't be trusted. No one from Birmingham had been at Number 10. SHAYKH RIYADH UL HUQ Imam, Birmingham Central Mosque I would say to Tony Blair and his advisers that before you even think of persuading Muslims globally that this is not a war against Islam and Muslims, he needs to convince the Muslims of this country first, and I believe that he has failed miserably in doing so. WHITE: Given what is being said from the pulpit about the treatment of Islam, and is still being said, do you think that... Dr MOHAMMAD NASEEM Chairman, Birmingham Central Mosque I think that there is a deep rooted, subconscious hatred of Islam that surfaces up in the time of stress. WHITE: The head teacher of the secondary school, proud of its multicultural tolerant ethos, told us his concerns. DAVID PECK Head Teacher, Moseley School As long as whatever action is taken is seen to be specifically action against terrorism, and not action against Islam, then I shall be happy. If things are not done carefully enough, that this is not the case, if Islam is held up to be in the wrong and guilty, then I have great fears. WHITE: In the immediate wake of the September 11th attacks, a few children had expressed sentiments sympathising with the terrorists. The head was present when we talked to pupils. He stressed that they were subject to influences from outside the school gates. BOY: Within the school community, that small minority of children of all ages, immediately after.. the day after the attack bringing in newspaper front pages of different pictures of the plane crashing into the building, and they were rejoicing and happy. You know.. they were saying we're glad that the people have died and we're glad that.. you know.. America deserved it and stuff. GIRL: This guy said to my mum that lots of people are ready to go to jihad to fight with the Afghanis. WHITE: So people around here, you're not talking of people somewhere else, people around here, round by your street, people whom you've talked to are talking of going of to fight for jihad for Afghanistan if it's attacked? GIRL: Yes. 2nd GIRL: They're going to go for jihad because they think that people are being attacked, it's a racial attack, it's like an ethnic attack, that people actually.. when they will attack it will be against race, it will be against Islam and they will be attacking people that are Muslim, and I think that America should be very wise in the steps that they take. They shouldn't approach ignorance with ignorance. WHITE: There's a concept in Islam of jihad, struggle, which can range from intellectual effort to taking physical action in defence of the religion. In Islam there's no single universal clerical authority, nor any universally agreed rule that guides all the faithful on exactly when they can take up arms and when they cannot. SHAYKH RIYADH UL HUQ Imam, Birmingham Central Mosque Well jihad is a very misunderstood term, and young Muslims in this country, if they feel that simple protests are not going to achieve anything, then it's sad to see that the government's refusal to listen is alienating many Muslims, and it's pushing them to desperation and desperate people - although we may not agree with their methods, we will be forced to understand that desperate people when pushed to desperation will adopt desperate measures. WHITE: This was the tragic end to the UN's worst single humiliation in Bosnia. July 1995 WHITE: The key recent event that did cause some young men from Birmingham and other British cities to take up arms for Islam in the past was the war in Bosnia in former Yugoslavia where Christians fought against Muslims. In Srebrenica in 1995 women and children were separated from the men. Then seven to eight thousand Muslim men were massacred unprotected by the United Nations. It was the worst single atrocity in Europe since the Second World War. IMRAN KHAN Bookshop owner & writer So many Muslims from around the world and from this country did go to Bosnia to fight, to fight against the Serbs. At that time people caught a flight to Germany and they went, there was no problem with the British authorities, there was no problem with the American authorities. This was deemed to be a reasonable action because it was a common enemy at the time. WHITE: Fighting for the Muslims in 1995 was tolerated, in Afghanistan against the Russians the West encouraged it. But elsewhere, more recently, young Muslim warriors have been seen as a threat. August 1999 In the Yemen a group of young Muslim men from the UK, one of them from Birmingham who'd become Mujahideen, were tried in 1999 and convicted for alleged terrorist offences. There are many battles for which young Muslims have been asked to fight. Now Osama bin Laden, blamed for the terrorist attack on September 11th has called for a holy war against the allies. Are you saying that young men from Birmingham will now be moved to go and fight for Jihad? KHAN: I'm not saying just from Birmingham, I'm saying from all over the world young men will be moved to fight jihad on a daily basis in some far off place around the world. WHITE: From streets round here? KHAN: From streets from up and down this country and Europe and America and around the world. WHITE: To fight against the West, the West's war on terrorism. KHAN: To fight against the West, yes. To fight against the West. WHITE: You talk to young men who would fight against the West, fight against Britain in the war against terrorism? Have you met such people? KHAN: No, I haven't, no. WHITE: You think it's happening? KHAN: I believe so. WHITE: But the great majority of Muslims thought only of trying to prevent any military action by peaceful means. Ten days ago Dr Naseem was one of many Muslims who attended a "Stop the War" meeting in Birmingham. A Muslim speaker said she'd been moved to public protest because of the public abuse she'd suffered. WOMAN: On the way home I was spat upon in the street. It was disgusting. Nobody said or did anything. They just saw and past by. I didn't have a tissue to wipe off the vile saliva. I felt utterly helpless. And it was the indifference of those people watching which is more demoralising than what that person actually did. Stop this madness. The hatred that is being whipped up to justify killing people abroad is already having repercussions here. Scared people do stupid and irrational things, and the general public is being frightened into accepting measures and attitudes which they would never have agreed to in the cold light of day. And of course, we already have racists here. WHITE: Many Muslims still hoped and expected that the West would stick to judicial action and avoid war. Dr HANI EL-BANNA Managing Director, Islamic Relief I believe strongly that with the wisdom of the European and American leaders, they will try to bring justice, and they're trying to find the perpetrators and I feel that the tone which has been happening, the tone which is two weeks ago, is different from what's happening now, and I feel that there are some moves to try to cool things down. Sunday 7th October BUSH: The United States of America is a friend to the Afghan people, and we are the friends of almost a billion worldwide who practice the Islamic faith. The United States of America is an enemy of those who aid terrorists, and of the barbaric criminals who profane a great religion by committing murder in its name. Dr MOHAMMAD NASEEM Chairman, Birmingham Central Mosque I guess I have been very sad that the situation has taken this turn. I prayed and would have expected that the voices of reason and restraint would have won, but apparently they did not. The voices of revenge and war did seem to have carried the day. WHITE: At the local pool hall we encountered shock and anger from young men who said that the worldwide Islamic nation was under deliberate attack. AMAR MAHMOOD Only reason they're going in to Afghanistan is to destroy the Islamic government what they're trying to build because it opposes their way of life. There's no other Islamic country that implements Islam in its totality. WHITE: You think this is war on Islam. MAHMOOD: Of course it's war on Islam, to destroy Islam. SHAMSUD DIN They're killing innocent Muslim people so what can you call it? They're killing Muslim innocent people and if it's not on Islam, who's it on? WHITE: As we sought out Muslim views on the military action being taken by the West, we were alerted by a leaflet being handed out at the mosque to a meeting being held at an address in this street. It was organised by a small political group called Al Muhajiroun, literally translated - 'The Immigrants'. Only a handful of people attended the meeting but in the past they have attracted anxiety both locally and nationally. Some people at their meetings have been reported as calling on Muslims to take action in terms which appeared to incite violence. We believe this didn't happen at this meeting, but we talked the group's Birmingham representative. UMRAN JAVED Al Muhajiroun For us Muslims living here in Britain, the military institutions within this country are legitimate targets. Nevertheless, having said that, our role here as Muslims is one of support for those Muslims who are on the receiving end in Afghanistan. WHITE: As British forces are now engaged in armed action, you're saying that British bases and British forces are legitimate targets now? JAVED: That isn't something that is my opinion, it's the verdict that Islam states quite clearly. If you're at war with a nation then obviously you're fighting with the army of that particular country. WHITE: But this rhetoric from the Birmingham representative endorsing action against British forces, doesn't in any way represent the views of other British Muslims, or of the Birmingham Central Mosque. The Imam gave his view on the war at last Friday's prayers. Friday 12th October IMAM: A few days ago Britain and America began the bombing of Afghanistan. The truth is, despite all the whirlwind tours, despite the tea parties at Downing Street, despite his media appearances, and his constant references to the Koran and Islam in his speeches, Blair has failed to convince the Muslims of this country, let alone the Muslims of the world, that he is not against Islam and the Muslims. Some people may consider this to be harsh, offensive and undiplomatic. But it is hardly as harsh and as offensive as the bombs falling on our fellow Muslims in countries all over the world. WHITE: Now the mosque prepare to do battle by all peaceful means. CND had planned a national 'Stop the War' rally in London. The mosque decided they would organise coaches for the faithful to join in, and inside the mosque they prepared to raise their banners high on Saturday. We returned to Moseley School this week to the same group of pupils from the school council. One was convinced that the West had sufficient evidence to justify military action, but wished that the Taliban had been given more time. But most of the group opposed the war. GIRL: It's their homeland. Would you like your homeland to be bombed? Of course you wouldn't. Then why should you bomb other people, and those people are innocent. If you think that Bin Laden bombed the World Trade Centre and killed innocent people, why are you doing the same thing again? Why are you bombing those people? BOY: My view is that they've got enough evidence. Maybe they could have waited a bit more, they could have sent more like.. verbal threats, no like go and actually do physical harm to the country. 2nd GIRL: They might have a bit of proof but why should they pick the most poorest country because Afghanistan hasn't really got much to bomb, and you're just making it worse for the poor people. I know what happened in America is very bad and so many innocent people died, but they should have a bit more evidence and they shouldn't have just start bombing because now it might get in a really big war. WHITE: Early yesterday morning Muslims and non Muslims assembled outside Birmingham Central Mosque to build a new peaceful coalition, to catch the bus and stop the war. SHAYKH RIYADH UL HUQ Imam, Birmingham Central Mosque I have yet to meet a single Muslim in the past three weeks who is not suspicious of British and American motives, who is not highly sceptical of what America and Britain are doing. I've yet to meet a single Muslim who actually believes Blair when he says that this is not a fight against Islam and Muslims. WHITE: Neither the Imam nor the Birmingham Central Mosque claim to speak for all the UK's Muslims. But now the wheels were rolling away from Birmingham towards the capital and the new experience for many of political protest. GIRL: This is my first political demonstration, my very first one. I have never ever been on any political demonstration before at all. MAN: This is the first time when you find more and more people will be going for the first time because I mean there's a certain limit to everything. But I mean innocent people will not sort out terrorism. WHITE: In London the protesters from Birmingham flowed into a larger river as an estimated 20,000 people poured towards Trafalgar Square. MALE DEMONSTRATOR: Ultimately all I'm concerned with that the war should.. the bombing should finish and this should be solved in diplomatic discussions, not by violence. FEMALE DEMONSTRATOR: Bombing all Afghanistan and sending troops to Pakistan is not going to get anyone anywhere. WHITE: The opinion polls say that a majority of the UK population backs the war. But Dr Naseem didn't feel part of an embattled Muslim minority but part of a wider dissenting political community. Jihad can mean peaceful protest as well as taking up arms. This democratic assembly was his Jihad. NASEEM: This is a jihad going on where all the communities have joined together, they are making a struggle and giving a message to the government that you are absolutely out of touch. WHITE: So this is your jihad, your peaceful jihad. NASEEM: This is all communities jihad. WHITE: Last week the Muslim Council of Great Britain expressed grave concern about the war. We cannot say with certainty that they represent the views of all Muslims. We can only report with certainly the opposition to it from within the Birmingham Central Mosque. _________ www.bbc.co.uk/panorama CREDITS Reporter Vivian White Film Camera Mike Spooner Sound Recordist Phil Bradley Dubbing Mixer John Rogerson VT Editor Boyd Nagle Graphic Design Kaye Huddy Julie Tritton Film Research Kate Redman Eamonn Walsh Production Team Karen Sadler Ben Peachey Kath Posner Production Manager Martha Estcourt Unit Manager Maria Ellis Film Editors Phil Clemo Bob Hayward Assistant Producers Matthew Cooper Nigel Morris Producer Stephen Scott Deputy Editors Andrew Bell Editor Mike Robinson 13 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Transcribed by 1-Stop Express Services, London W2 1JG Tel: 020 7724 7953 E-mail 1-stop@msn.com