Christians, Muslims Unite for London Peace
Religious leaders held a peace rally in the hometown of one of the London bombers Saturday
Christian and Muslim leaders on Saturday took part in a peace rally in the hometown of one of the London bombers to mourn the dead and call for religious peace.
Over 300 people gathered in the West Yorkshire hometown of Mohammad Sidique Khan, a 30 year-old teaching assistant from Dewsbury.
"We can't let people put wedges between our communities," said Bishop Tony Robinson of Pontefract according to BBC news.
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The local Minister of Parliament, Shahid Malik, called on citizens of Dewsbury not to become divided because of the bombings.
In a statement, Khan's parents described their son as "a kind and caring member of our family." They added, "We are devastated our son may have been brainwashed into carrying out such an atrocity."
Had they known of his activities, they said they would have tried to stop him.
According to the Yorkshire Post, Bishop Robinson visited Khan's mother on Wednesday.
"She is very shocked and sad by what happened," Robinson told the Post. "She had no idea at all."
Those who attended the peace rally wanted express sympathy to the victims.
"It was a small but important rally," said Peter Smith, 68, a retired university lecturer, according to BBC news. "It may have been a gesture to the victim's families but I hope it sends out the message the people of Dewsbury are horrified and united in their condemnation of the bombings."
In other parts of Yorkshire, people were also trying to understand what happened on July 7.
The Herald of Scotland recently spoke with British Muslim youths to see how the bombers' actions were affecting their everyday lives.
Murtazar Khalil, 16, a local British youth of Pakistani descent says he has experienced an increase in racism.
"When I've been walking in town people have said stuff like 'Have you bombed anyone recently?' and worse. I don't know why, but it makes me feel guilty and I shouldn't because the guys who set off the bombs in London weren't real Muslims," said Murtazar, who knew Khan because they attended the same gym.
"He was a really good guy, I don't know why he did that stuff in London. Killing innocent people is wrong," he said.
Khan was one of three young British Muslim bombers of Pakistani origin. The fourth was a Jamaican-born Briton. It is believed that Khan was the leader in charge of the operation.
Last year, British intelligence came across Khan's name while investigating an alleged plot to explode a huge bomb near a London nightclub but nothing came of it.
A July 7 video surveillance screen capture recently released by police shows Khan entering a subway with the other three bombers. About 90 minutes later, they set off the bombs in suicide attacks, according to investigators.
