Neighbors defend terror suspects

LONDON -- In the neighborhoods where the bomb plot suspects lived, some residents defended the accused and said they worried the episode would fuel anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant sentiment in multi-ethnic London.

Dismissing the notion of a plot to bomb airliners, several Muslim neighbors said the arrests this week were part of a plot to demonize Islam and divert attention from trouble zones in the Middle East.

``I think they did it to distract attention from the real problems, which are in Iraq and Lebanon," said Hamza Ghafoor , 20, a friend and neighbor of one of the suspects, Ibrahim Savant. Instead, Ghafoor said, Britons and Americans should blame Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush for invading Iraq.

``When a dog bites someone, you don't blame the dog. You blame the owner. It's Bush," Ghafoor said.

Crowds of men, some in long, flowing robes and others in Western clothes, gathered outside the mosque across the street from the modest brick row house of Waheed Zaman . Most said they were stunned by the arrests, and skeptical that the nine young men arrested from this community could have done anything wrong.

``We are shocked. We knew these youngsters, and I can't imagine that they would be involved in this type of thing," said neighbor Ahmed Dalvi, 50. Zaman took care of his ill father, Dalvi said.

``Anyone could be the next person to be arrested, just because you're Muslim," said Shah Khan , 25, who learned of the arrests when he saw police standing outside his friend's home yesterday morning.

One of the young men arrested was studying a medical-related field at a university, while another had university exams scheduled for later this month, he said. ``They're proud of being British and proud of being British-Pakistani," he said.

Neighbors of 25-year-old Savant said he would never hurt another person. Savant, who had changed his name from Oliver, is the son of an English mother and Iranian father , and converted to Islam, according to reports .

``He is not a bomber. He's a good person. He hates violence," Mustafa Mahmood, 18, said as he watched police guard Savant's modest white row house in Walthamstow, a section of London where four of the suspects lived. Mahmoo d said Savant is the type of person who ``stop fights in the park" when he encounters feuding youths.

Other residents, who said they did not know Savant or the other young men arrested in the neighborhood, said they were afraid of living so close to people accused of such a dangerous crime.

``It's scary. My church is right up there," said Kirstie Johnston , 17, pointing up the street from Savant's home. ``Imagine if a bomb went off?"

Religious and community leaders urged calm, pleading with residents not to allow the episode to upset what they said was a tolerant, diverse community.

At a mosque in nearby Leytonstone, member of Parliament Harry Cohen met with Muslims to discuss Britain's policy in the Middle East. Many of those at the meeting complained of stereotypes of Muslims and the culture of fear that many say has been created.

Others said they were suspicious of British intelligence, especially after episodes of innocent people being accused of terrorism-related crimes.

``This is a very diverse community, and most of us don't believe the young people here were involved" in a bombing plot, said Carole Vincent , 52, as she handed out antiwar leaflets on the street in one of the Muslim neighborhoods. ``We're not `tolerant,' we embrace each other," Vincent said. `We don't want sections of our community to be isolated or excluded or bullied."

Globe correspondent Alana Semuels contributed to this report from London