Carrie Lemack, die ihre Mutter bei den Attentaten des 11. September verlor, schreibt in der Herald Tribune über die unwahrscheinliche Freundschaft, die sie mit einem konservativen Muslim verbindet, der wie sie selbst gegen Al-Kaida kämpft:
„I never thought I’d consider the chairman of the Brixton Mosque a close friend.
A devout Muslim, Abdul Haqq Baker lives in Britain and Saudi Arabia with his wife, who chooses to wear a burqa. I am a proud American who chooses to wear tall leather boots and can’t remember the last time I attended a religious service.
Separately, we have each fought Al Qaeda extremists. Together, we both recognize that terrorists cannot be stopped until we move beyond stereotypes and ignorance, embrace our shared humanity and take away the one thing Al Qaeda and its affiliates exploit – passive support for their violent tactics.
Carrie Lemack
…
Under the leadership and support of the chairman of the Brixton Mosque, Abdul Haqq Baker… victims and family members of the July 7 and 9/11 attacks have and will continue to speak at the Mosque with school children, mothers, fathers and community members about the realities of being a terrorism victim.
The hope is that such discussions will shed light on each group’s experiences, building understanding and overcoming stereotypes.
Abdul Haqq Baker
If people in the EU and around the globe are serious about stopping the next Al Qaeda attack, we need to look beyond governmental actions and policies and think about what we as global citizens can do.
Let’s reach out to Al Qaeda victims in the Muslim world, where there are, sadly, altogether too many of them.
We must ensure that the voices heard there are not just those that may be sympathetic or indifferent to violence and hatred but rather those that have experienced terrorism’s suffering firsthand. Those voices can undermine Al Qaeda’s message better than any government edict or international proclamation.
Defeating Al Qaeda and its affiliates requires more than missiles and mandates. It takes unexpected friendships and alliances, much like mine with Abdul Haqq. Today, let’s honor them, and pledge to grow even more.“
Amen!
Carrie Lemack hat die Überlebenden-Organisation „Families of September 11“ mitbegründet.
Abdul Haqq Baker steht der Brixton Moschee vor, in der unter anderem auch der „Schuhbomber“ Richard Reid gebetet hatte.