Muslims Prepare for Backlash After Alleged Al-Qaeda Links to Bombings

March 15, 2004

Source: The International Herald Tribune

http://www.iht.com/articles/510190.html

On March 15, 2004 The International Herald Tribune ran a New York Times article that reported, "The arrest of the three Moroccans in connection with the Madrid train bombings that killed 200 people last week and the release of a video late Saturday by a man calling himself an Al Qaeda military spokesman and claiming responsibility for the deadly attacks have left Spain's Muslim community in a state of profound unease. Those hit hardest by the news that Al Qaeda may have planted the bombs have been the hundreds of thousands of Moroccans, both legal and illegal, who walk a fine line between acceptance and rejection here. With Muslims bracing themselves for a backlash, an anti-racist group began a campaign on Sunday to try to prevent attacks on Muslim and Arab residents."