Silence for victim of far-right van attack
A MINUTE’S silence was held yesterday to mark a year since Makram Ali, a Muslim father-ofsix, was killed and others injured in an attack near a mosque in north London.
Most of the victims of the Finsbury Park terror attack had just left night-time Ramadan prayers at the nearby Muslim Welfare House when Darren Osborne, determined to kill as many Muslims as possible, drove a hired van on to a crowded pavement.
Members of Mr Ali’s family were joined by emergency service workers, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick and community leaders yesterday.
Also attending the memorial were Labour leader and local Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who stressed the hate-filled attack had failed to divide the ethnically diverse community.
Speaking on the steps of Islington Town Hall, Mr Corbyn praised the “absolutely magnificent” immediate response from the local community and emergency services that night.
Imam Mohammed Mahmoud, who protected Osborne from angry passers-by until police came to arrest him, was among those praised.
To warm applause, Mr Corbyn said: “Imam Mahmoud did a brilliant and wonderful job of making sure that hatred of racism did not turn into violence and anger on the streets that night.”
Banners which read “United Against Terror,” “Turn To Love” and “London United” decorated the scene at the memorial, which was attended by members of the community and local officials.
Mr Ali was remembered as a much-loved husband, father, grandfather and brother by Mr Khan.
Jobless Osborne, who had been radicalised by far-right material, is serving a jail sentence of at least 43 years after being found guilty in February of murder and attempted murder.