Islamic leaders alarmed at increasing harassment since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks are to warn community members to prepare for a backlash if terrorists target Britain.
Every Muslim household in Britain will receive a special booklet this fall warning them that they may face revenge attacks. Those whose faith is visible -- such as women who wear hijab -- will be warned to take care before going out alone.
The leaflet says that mosques and other Islamic institutions should already be checking for suspicious packages and should think about installing close-circuit TV.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) prepared the pamphlet, Know Your Rights and Responsibilities, in consultation with leading clerics and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
The wallet-sized guide also repeats the organization's call for anyone who suspects possible terrorism-related activity to report it.
"After Sept. 11 we saw a number of attacks against mosques, Muslim individuals and even cemeteries, which were desecrated -- and that was because of what happened in another country," MCB spokesman Inayat Bunglawala.
"Really incendiary comments have been made about British Muslims, even in the press. If, God forbid, an attack happened here, we know that there are elements who would want to incite trouble. We urge Muslims not to allow themselves to be provoked by those who might create strife," Bunglawala said.
The MCB -- an umbrella organization with which more than 350 Islamic organizations in the UK are affiliated -- is printing 500,000 copies of the guide.
Bunglawala added: "It is far wider than terror; it tackles issues such as education and political participation as well. Parts of the Muslim community are underachieving, so it encourages parents to take a greater interest in their children's education. Peo-ple feel they are being ignored, so it urges people to join mainstream political parties and get their voices heard instead of being disheartened."
He said the guide reiterated the MCB's message that Muslims should immediately contact police if they suspected possible terror-related activity, despite attempts to mischaracterize a similar letter sent out in March -- following the Madrid train bombings -- as a call for Muslims to spy on others in the community.
"Many Muslims feel they have to do even more than average citizens to prove they are seeking the well-being of everyone in the country," he said.
The MCB has already issued a model sermon for imams to draw on, which draws a clear distinction between jihad and terrorism, to prevent disaffected young people from being seduced by extremists.
"Certain figures are trying to deliberately confuse the minds of Muslim youth about what jihad is and make it analogous to terrorism," said Abdul Jalil Sajid, the imam of Brighton Islamic Mission on the English south coast and one of those who took the lead in writing the sermon.
The sermon points out that jihad is the noble struggle to defend one's homeland from external attacks, while terrorism is an attack on innocents.
"Many of the youngsters are frustrated, because they opposed the war in Iraq and marched against it and were ignored for instance, and that may have made some of them more susceptible," Sajid added.
Muslim leaders have also been making concentrated efforts to educate the wider public about Islam in recent months in an attempt to tackle increased prejudice following Sept. 11 head-on.
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