An attack on a mosque is an attack on us all
Defiant message of emotional Labour chief Theresa May visits shocked community
WITH tears in his eyes on yet another tragic day for London, Jeremy Corbyn condemned the act of terror in Finsbury Park as “an attack on all of us”.
The emotional Labour leader, who represents the community as MP for Islington North, was one of the first politicians to speak out yesterday.
After a meeting with constituents, Mr Corbyn said people were “frightened” and added: “The only way to deal with this kind of issue is communities coming together.
“This is a very multi-faith community – Christians, Jewish, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhist, all live around here.
“An attack on a mosque, an attack on a synagogue, an attack on a church is actually an attack on all of us. We have to protect each other’s faith, each other’s way of life, and that’s what makes us a strong society and community.” He spoke as bouquets of flowers were left at the scene of the attack. And one Tube worker added his voice of defiance by writing a “quote of the day” on a whiteboard at Finsbury Park station. It read: “Tough Times Don’t Last. Tough People Do. Stick Together All of Us.” Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, a practising Muslim, agreed, saying: “Terrorism is terrorism, whether it’s Islamist-inspired or inspired by others.” But he also urged Theresa May to halt police cuts after years of brutal austerity. He said: “I’ve been saying for 13 months now my concern about the resources the Met Police and others have. My message to the Government is, the plan you have to make the further
cuts of £400million, don’t do it.” Mr Khan also insisted the capital would “stay strong” after suffering its third terror incident in just three months.
His remarks were echoed by Richard Watts, leader of Islington Council, who added: “We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community.
“This is our community and we will not be divided by any terrorist.”
After criticism of her slow response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy last week, Mrs May was on the scene of the attack within hours yesterday.
Her Communities Secretary Sajid Javid also arrived to comfort locals.
Visiting Finsbury Park Mosque, the PM met a group of faith leaders.
She said afterwards: “The terrible terrorist attack which took place last night was an evil born out of hatred and it has devastated a community.
“I am pleased to have been here today to see the strength of that community coming together, all faiths united in one desire to see extremism and hatred of all sorts driven out of our society.” Mrs May repeated her stark warning after the London Bridge attack that there would be no distinction made between Islamist and Islamophobic extremists in Britain. She also promised extra security to places of worship.
But she was heckled by a crowd as she left the mosque and stepped into her waiting bulletproof Jaguar. “Mrs May! How can you be so quick today? In Kensington you weren’t so fast,” one onlooker shouted, in reference to her reaction to the Grenfell blaze.
No10 sources said the focus will now turn to drawing up a new counterterror clampdown that takes in both Islamist and Islamophobic extremists.
Security Minister Ben Wallace confirmed the suspect was not known to the security services but linked him to a general “rise in the far right”.
It comes after London police recorded a spike in anti-Muslim incidents in the wake of the London Bridge outrage earlier this month.
There were 20 recorded on June 6 – compared with a daily average of 3.5.
Imam Qari Asim, a member of the Government’s Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group, said: “It’s important that we seek out those who incite hatred, of whatever form, to challenge and condemn their vile actions.
“There can be no tolerance of religious hatred in our country.”
The Hope Not Hate group, which campaigns against the far right, said there was little difference between the two sick brands of extremism which have attacked Britain this year.
It said in a statement yesterday: “We must oppose far-right extremism with the same intensity that we oppose Islamist extremism.”