United condemnation of the Glasgow Airport car bomb attempt has failed to deter retaliation.

Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, his deputy Nicola Sturgeon and the combined Muslim communities have all spoken out strongly against the terrorist attack.

But in the week immediately following it, Strathclyde Police recorded 56 racial incidents - 11, they told the LOCAL NEWS, were directly linked to the airport car bomb.

Osama Saeed, spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain told a 2000 strong rally in Glasgow on Saturday 7 July, ‘It’s been hard being Muslim these past few weeks with the constant onslaught by the media and the public. It is important to show that there is no doctrinal legitimacy for these terrorist actions.’

Glasgow’s Southside has played a key role in quelling fears of retribution following Scotland’s first ever terrorist attack.

Within 24 hours of two men crash-driving a Jeep Cherokee packed with gas cylinders and fuel into the main entrance of Glasgow Airport, on the afternoon of Saturday 30 June, the action was condemned by the entire Scottish Muslim community at a packed meeting in Glasgow Central Mosque. 

The attack vehicle burst into flames and was embedded in the wall of the airport which was crowded with holidaymakers at the height of the season. The place was evacuated but no one was hurt. The driver received serious burns and was taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and later transferred to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. As the LOCAL NEWS went to press, his condition was critical.

The passenger in the vehicle was wrestled to the ground by police officers and, with the help of a baggage handler and another traveller, was arrested.

The subsequent unfolding of a dramatic story apparently linking the two men in the Glasgow attack with two failed car bomb attempts in London, has had the eyes of the world drawn to Scotland.

At the Mosque meeting, Alex Salmond said, ‘It is very important to show that we fully understand that the Muslim community here has nothing to do with the attacks. We don’t want any anti-Muslim feeling in Scotland and this is why we stand in solidarity with them.’

The recently elected President of the Mosque, Bashir Maan, chaired the meeting. A former Glasgow City Councillor, he said, ‘The events at Glasgow airport have proved to be a very sad day. We are all disgusted by what has happened and condemn this outright. This has nothing to do with Islam.’

Mohammad Sarwar, Westminster MP for Glasgow Central, also spoke. ‘We are all shocked but relieved that they (the attackers) are not Scottish. In this country we have excellent race relations between all the communities and we don’t want to lose these good community relationships.’

Strathclyde Police Assistant Chief Constable, John Neilson told the Mosque audience, ‘The airport incident was an indiscriminate criminal attack by individuals who do not represent any of the communities in Scotland and will be investigated as such.’ He added that anyone who tried to take revenge against the minority ethnic communities, would face the full force of the law.

Bashir Ahmed, the first Muslim member of the Scottish Parliament commented, ‘We are coming together to make it clear that the taking of life be it man, woman or child, is wrong, just plain wrong. There is no justification for it and we, as the Muslim community, will stand with others in rooting this out from our society.’

Two days after the Central Mosque meeting, a car was taken away from the Masjid Noor Mosque in Forth Street, Pollokshields after police carried out a controlled disruption to check it did not contain explosives. Police believed the car had been left there by one of the two men alleged to have carried out the attack at Glasgow airport.

Mr Khaliq Ansari, Secretary of the Mosque said, ‘We did not mind helping the police. These so-called Muslims who carry out these attacks in the name of Islam, are not real Muslims.’

Mustaqeem Shah, Imam of Carrington Street Mosque in the city’s West End is also a leading member of the Scottish Inter Faith Council. He told the LOCAL NEWS, ‘We are all shocked that this has come to Scotland. We hope that the full force of the law will be brought to bear on those who perpetrate such violence against innocent people.’

At the George Square Rally on Saturday 7 July, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon was one of ten major figures who spoke out against the attempted bombings and in support of the Muslim community. She said, ‘These attacks are not representative of Islam. Muslims in Scotland were just as shocked and disgusted at what happened as everyone else. Any Scots who try to blame or retaliate against the Muslim communities are not representative of Scotland.’

Another speaker, Keir McKechnie of the Stop the War Coalition said, ‘Gordon Brown’s government has denied there is any link between the illegal war in Iraq and what is happening here, when there clearly is. If you are going to kill thousands of innocent people then there will obviously be repercussions from that. This Coalition is totally opposed to any car bombs AND any cluster bombs.’

As the LOCAL NEWS went to press, Bilal Abdullah (27) had been charged by the London Metropolitan Police with offences under the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

Four men and one woman were in police custody in England being questioned in connection with the London and Glasgow bombing attempts. Three may be held till July 14 and two until July 15 under extension to questioning procedures.

One man is being held in Australia in connection with the attacks. As a result of the Glasgow airport attack, police in Scotland have been given new stop and search powers enabling them to stop anyone.