London -- The main representative bodies in Britain for Christians and Muslims have jointly condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the London bombs that left at least 50 people dead and around 700 injured.A statement from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and the Muslim Council of Britain described the explosions on 7 July hitting three underground trains and a bus as a "criminal attack".
"No good purpose can be achieved by such an indiscriminate and cruel use of terror. The scriptures and the traditions of both the Muslim and Christian communities repudiate the use of such violence," the statement declared.
It added: "We continue to resist all attempts to associate our communities with the hateful acts of any minority who claim falsely to represent us * These attacks strengthen our determination to live together in peace, and to grow together in mutual understanding."
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosions, but security specialists say the bombings have the hallmarks of the al-Qaida terrorist group.
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is supported by all main Christian denominations in the two countries. The Muslim Council of Britain, which is seen as a voice of moderate Islam, has more than 400 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, including mosques, charities and schools.
The terror attacks came while leaders of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations were holding a summit in Scotland and one day after London was named as the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Muslim Association of Britain, which some Britons have criticised for being linked to Palestinian groups that support violence such as Hamas, said: "The perpetrators, whoever they turn out to be, carried out a callous crime which Islam and all human values disown. Whatever the objectives or motives that the attackers may ultimately declare, there can be no doubt that it was an attack that targeted London, the city and its people, all its people."
Britain's Guardian Unlimited Web site reported on 8 July: "A backlash against British Muslims began almost immediately as news of the bomb explosions spread. The Muslim Council of Britain received more than 1000 emails containing threats and messages of hate, several reading: 'It's now war on Muslims throughout Britain'."
