The International Association of Democratic Lawyers, (IADL) condemns the July 7, 2005 bombings in London,England. We express our solidarity with the victims, their families and the countless people whose lives have been forever shaken by these events. IADL opposes all acts of violence against civilians: bombs on public transportation in London, planes flying into buildings in New York City, or the armies of the United States andGreat Britain waging illegal wars on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Unless we address the various forces which motivate people to turn to terror, we will not be able to eradicate it in the short or long term. When world leaders promote illegal wars; when they sanction the use of torture; and when they deny peoples the right to self-determination, as in the case of Palestine; then they promote terror and undermine respect for the rule of law. IADL will not tolerate any attempt to distinguish the deaths of countless civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan as a result of these illegal wars, and those killed by bombs placed on trains and buses. We condemn both.
IADL calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan and Iraq; for an end to Israel’s apartheid wall and illegal occupation of Palestinian territory; for an end to torture and the illegal practice of ‘extraordinary rendition’; and for the prosecution and punishment of those guilty of promoting such crimes against humanity.
In 2003, IADL held a conference on the effects of anti-terrorist legislation passed following September 11, 2001. Such legislation tends to make peoples less safe and less free; it promotes fear, racism, religious fanaticism and intolerance; and it leads to a worsening cycle of violations of human rights and fundamental liberties. IADL notes with concern the wave of attacks in the UK, in the wake of the London bombings, on people and locations perceived as Islamic.
IADL calls on all governments:
* Not to use such bombings as an excuse to promote repressive legislation;
* Not to use such bombings as an excuse to criminalise Muslim communities, or to fail to protect Muslim communities from acts of violence;
* To end the illegal wars and actions which only have the effect of promoting groups who see terrorist tactics as the only solution to their problems;
* To promote dialogue, understanding and tolerance between people of different beliefs within their own borders and abroad.