03 October 2001

"Heinous" Trade Center Attack Is Attack on World, Affront to Islam

Washington -- The September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York was an attack not only on America but on the whole world and "stands as an affront to Islam," says a senior official in the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington. Islam does not preach the use of such violent tactics against innocent, defenseless people, the official says.

In an October 2 interview with the Washington File, the senior official said Bangladesh now has six nationals confirmed missing and an additional 21 nationals who were reported missing following the crashing of two commercial jetliners into the twin towers in New York City, which caused the total collapse of the 110-story buildings. The victims who were Bangladeshis were employed in a wide array of businesses operating in the huge World Trade Center complex. More than 5,200 people are missing and feared dead in the New York City attack and 363 people have been confirmed dead. Citizens of more than 80 nations were victims in the attack.

The World Trade Center attack also coincided with the crashing of a third commercial airliner into the Pentagon, the U.S. Defense Department headquarters outside Washington, which claimed 189 lives, as well as a related terrorist-inspired crash of a fourth hijacked commercial jet in Pennsylvania, which claimed 44 victims.

Many have speculated that the fourth jet had been targeted to crash into a prominent target in Washington, possibly the U.S. Capitol.

Focusing on the terrorist attacks, the senior official, who is a practicing Muslim, said: "Islam does not preach such things. How can they use the name of Islam while doing such a thing? It is a heinous attack. Nothing could be worse than this. It is an attack on humanity."

The senior official termed it "unthinkable" that anyone could do such a thing in the name of religion.

"All religions teach good things," the senior official said. "No religion teaches that you hijack a plane and crash it into a building, killing innocent people who are there working to earn a living. Those passengers inside the planes [used in the attacks] also were absolutely innocent."

The New York attack, the senior official said, "was not only an attack on the World Trade Center and on the symbols of might and success and prosperity of America, but it was an attack on the whole world. That is how we see it" in Bangladesh.

He noted that terrorist attacks are attacks on people of all religions.

"Our country is a majority Muslim country but also a secular country with people of other faiths as well. These people who have done this have taken the name of Islam -- which is very unfortunate. Islam is not the religion to profess such things. We are really surprised that they would do such a thing in using the name of Islam.

"As a result, it has brought a bad name to all Muslims throughout the world," the senior official noted.

Bangladeshis in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, and points throughout the world, according to the official, have been donating and are continuing to donate blood for the victims and have been holding candlelight vigils to express their solidarity with the American people. They have also spent much time raising disaster relief funds and have been assisting rescue and recovery efforts in New York City, the senior official added.

Bangladesh, the senior embassy official stressed, was one of the first governments to offer support and condolences to the people of the United States.

"The Bangladesh government was one of the first few to immediately condemn this attack and send a message to President Bush expressing sympathy for the government and the people of the U.S.A. and also expressing our solidarity and support for all Americans. In fact, this happened within hours of the attack.

"Our president also sent the same message the following day, and Bangladesh has expressed its full solidarity with the Americans in this fight against terrorism." Bangladesh, the senior official added, is also a signatory to all world conventions against terrorism.

The senior official also cited written remarks by A. Tariq Karim, Bangladesh's ambassador to the United States, to senior members of the U.S. Congress, in which the ambassador called the attacks "cowardly acts of terror."

"We are a peaceful, freedom-loving, and secular democracy with majority Muslims but opposed to religious extremism, fanaticism, and terrorism in all its forms. We stand by the United States in the global fight against terrorism," the ambassador said.