(Washington, D.C. - 9/9/08) -- Three British citizens were convicted yesterday of conspiring to commit murder during a foiled 2006 plot to blow up seven airplanes bound for the United States and Canada.

The 2006 trans-Atlantic terror plot came to light following a tip from a British Muslim, who alerted the authorities about a group of young South Asian British men who were allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack. The plan involved a conspiracy to have suicide bombers detonate soft drink bottles filled with liquid explosives aboard airplanes.

From the start, the case has raised concerns around the potential for homegrown terrorists in the West. The conviction of three out of the eight defendants highlights several issues for groups involved in counter-terrorism efforts and has consequences for public policy measures in the United States.

First and foremost, it speaks to the importance of a partnership model between local communities and law enforcement. Since May 2004, MPAC's National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism has been a model adopted by mosques around the country which implement a series of best practices to protect their congregations from potentially dangerous influences. Mosques and organizations around the country are also meeting regularly with local law enforcement officials to discuss effective and ineffective means of interacting with their communities.

Muslim Americans widely recognize that education about Islamic teachings which demonstrate the faith's theology of life is the most effective means of countering extremist ideologies which promote political violence through a theology of death. Mosques, community centers, scholars and leaders are playing critical roles everyday in continuing this important work.

Finally, U.S. policy-makers, and more importantly, opinion-shapers should be responsible in their rhetoric so as not to stigmatize young American-born and raised Muslims, an important and often misunderstood segment of the American public.

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