Extra protection for mosques as May vows to fight extremist ideology of all kinds
THERESA MAY has promised that mosques will be given extra protection by police in the wake of the Finsbury Park terror attack.
The Prime Minister yesterday made the pledge and visited the mosque in north London within hours of the attack taking place.
Her response was in stark contrast with her reaction to the Grenfell Tower fire. She failed to meet victims until three days after the disaster and faced criticism from her own MPS and senior Conservatives for failing to show the victims of the disaster more compassion and “humanity”.
The Prime Minister yesterday visited the mosque, where she was pictured sitting with community and faith leaders, after chairing a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee.
She said after the visit: “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.”
Sajid Javid, the Local Government Secretary, yesterday visited the scene and comforted a crying woman, urging her to “stay strong” in the wake of the attack.
He said: “The perpetrator of this attack – and those terrible attacks that we saw recently in Manchester and London – their intention is to seek to divide society.
“My message to them is that they will always, always fail. This Government will always take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime – including anti-muslim hate crime – wherever we find it.”
Mr Javid said that he had chosen to visit the scene instead of attending the Cobra emergency committee. He told a community activist: “I thought it was more important I am here in person and sent a minister to the meeting.”
The Prime Minister was heckled by one member of the public as she left the area, but avoided the angry confrontation that took place on Friday when she visited a community centre near Grenfell Tower.
Mrs May confirmed the additional security for mosques on the steps of Downing Street immediately after the attack took place.
She said: “Extra police resources have already been deployed to reassure communities, and the police will continue to assess the security needs of mosques and provide any additional resources needed.”
The Prime Minister added that more would be done to crackdown on Islamophobia, with a package of measures to tackle extremism expected in the Queen’s Speech tomorrow.
Mrs May said: “This morning we have seen a sickening attempt to destroy those freedoms, and to break those bonds of citizenship that define our United Kingdom,” she said. “It is a reminder that terrorism, extremism and hatred take many forms, and our determination to tackle them must be the same whoever is responsible. As I said here two weeks ago, there has been far too much tolerance of extremism in our country over many years – and that means extremism of any kind, including Islamophobia.
“That is why this Government will act to stamp out extremist and hateful ideology – both across society and on the internet, so it is denied a safe space to grow.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader whose Islington North constituency includes the Finsbury Park mosque, visited the scene twice yesterday and appeared close to tears.
He said: “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.
‘I am pleased to have been here today to see the strength of that community coming together, all faiths united’
“That’s what makes us a strong society and community.”
The attack came after a series of community events were held across the country at the weekend to celebrate the life of the Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered last year by a Rightwing terrorist.
Brendan Cox, her widower, said: “I think it’s also something, in the case of Islamophobia, there are extremists again who are driving hatred, who are using language about cleansing Britain of Islam, who are talking about a final solution for Muslims.”
Ben Wallace, the security minister, yesterday said that the Government has to put “a lot more effort” into countering anti-muslim ideology.