Hundreds attend peace rally after Britain riots

Aug 14, 2011, 16:48 GMT

London - Hundreds of people on Sunday attended a peace rally in Birmingham, Britain's second-largest city, a week after the rioting and looting in major cities began.

The father of one of three men run over and killed as they tried to defend property from looters in Birmingham said it gave him 'strength in my heart' to see so many different members of the community gathered at the rally.

Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, suffered fatal injuries when they were hit by a car early Wednesday. Two men were remanded in custody on Sunday on charges of murder.

'To me it's the month of Ramadan, as a Muslim I believe that this is a very special month,' the father, Tariq Jahan, told the crowd.

'For us Muslims we believe the gates of heaven are open and the gates of hell are shut this month, so that gives me the strength to believe that the three boys did not die in vain, they died for this community and I hope that this community will remember them,' Jahan said.

Members of different faiths and backgrounds attended the event, which included speeches, prayers and performances by local music groups.

'Please do not divide, be together, be at unity. Let people know that we are all good ... Let's just unite,' said Abdul Qudoos, the older brother of Ali and Musavir.

Meanwhile, a police official at the rally defended the actions of the force, who have been criticized by the government for not acting fast or harshly enough against the rioters.

'I'm absolutely confident that my officers have shown great bravery,' chief constable Chris Sims said.

'We will bring to justice people that have broken the law and we will use some compassion for those that deserve compassion as well,' he added.

In London, 16,000 officers remained on the streets during the weekend to prevent any recurrence of the rioting, looting and arson that erupted in the northern district of Tottenham a week ago, and spread to large parts of the capital and other cities in the following days.

More than 1,600 people have been arrested in towns and cities across the country, and nearly 800 have been convicted of public order offences.