Muslims report hate crimes

ter the recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester. The Muslim Council of Britain said Monday’s attack was a result of the “violent manifestation” of Islamophobia.

“We should be safer, we shouldn’t have to look over our shoulder all the time,” Mbnye said. “Not all Muslims are terrorists, and I blame the government for creating the impression that they are.”

Amir weighed in: “If the guy that did this was a Muslim, he would have been called a ‘ terrorist’ straightaway, but because he is a white man, it’s assumed he has a mental illness. Where is the justice?”

Both young women said they had witnessed racism and religious intolerance in Finsbury Park but were never personally affected.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said police declared the attack to be terror- related within eight minutes, but several groups of young Muslim men near the area of the attack Monday told USA TODAY they did not believe the timing was that fast. They said initial comments by May and the police were discriminatory.

Some took out their anger on reporters at the scene. Police had to intervene to disperse a man and woman shouting at a cameraman and other reporters.

“This is fake news. You don’t care about any of us or the people who were hurt here,” the woman shouted. “Why are you here? What is the story you are going to tell?”

Watching the scene unfold was Rachel- Leah Bailey, a trainee minister in a Pentecostal Church. “I understand her anger, but that’s just feeding it,” Bailey said. “You know, there’s a lot of things wrong with this area, this city, this country, this world. And we can complain till the cows come home. What we really need to do is to inform and educate people.”

Ahmad, who lives in the neighborhood, said people had the right to get angry, but he hoped those feelings would not lead to a permanent change for Finsbury Park, perhaps fed by future assaults.

“This is the most disunited I have ever seen this place,” he said. “Home. Mosque. Work. This is what people need to focus on.”