Don't consider Bin Laden a hero, Pinoy Muslims told

MANILA, Philippines – The Palace urged Filipino Muslims not to consider notorious terrorist Osama bin Laden as a hero.

The administration made the statement after a group of Filipino Muslims staged a protest at the U.S. Embassy here to condemn the killing of the al-Qaeda leader.

“His terrorism affects our country as well and the entire globe,” said Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

“Our request to our Muslim brothers, look at the consequences of terrorism and not just because Osama is a Muslim,” the Palace official added.

He said Bin Laden committed atrocities and it was only justified that he be held responsible for what he did.

Police prevented a group of Muslims, protesting the killing and sea burial of terrorist leader, from holding demonstrations in front of the United States embassy.

Members of the Manila Police District deployed to secure the embassy used anti-riot shields to push back the protesters, who marched from the Golden Mosque in Quiapo district. The protesters dispersed peacefully.

Before the Muslims marched to the US embassy, they held prayers and a memorial service for the fallen international terror leader at the Golden Mosque.

Yasin Ibrahim, one of the organizers of the movement, said in a radio interview that their elders believe that bin Laden's sea burial by US troops violated Islamic tradition.

Ibrahim said that according to their elders, a sea burial is only allowed only if a Muslim died while on board a ship.

Islamic cleric Alim Jamil Yahya, chairman of the Bangsamoro Supreme Council of the Ulama, led the memorial service and the protest action.

Yahya condemned the "brutal killing" of bin Laden and describes the al-Qaida founder's burial at sea as a desecration of his body.

He said that although many Muslims did not agree with bin Laden's methods, they still revered him as a martyr because he fought for freedom against oppression by "the satanic US hegemony."(With AP/Xinhua)