’You ain’t no Muslim, bruv’ comment stirs support
LONDON — It’s become the rallying cry of many who want the Muslim faith to be separated from the violence some commit in its name: “You ain’t no Muslim, bruv.”
The comment, heard in the background of a bystander’s video following a stabbing at a London Underground station that prosecutors say was a terrorist act, has touched a nerve in Britain and become a trending hashtag on Twitter. Even Prime Minister David Cameron embraced it as a slogan.
“Some of us have dedicated speeches and media appearances and sound bites and everything to this subject,” Cameron said Monday. “But ‘You ain’t no Muslim, bruv’ said it all much better than I ever could.”
The remark came Saturday night after a man with a knife attacked two commuters in East London, reportedly shouting “This is for Syria.” As the man was wrestled to the ground by police, who first used a stun gun to subdue him, a bystander shouted at the suspect: “You ain’t no Muslim, bruv.” The speaker, whose identity is not known, used the slang term bruv, for brother.
Salma Yaqoob of the Stop the War Coalition told the BBC that it lifted her spirits and shows how many British Muslims feel.
“It encapsulates the best of British — not just what this individual did but the way people responded to what he said and have added their voices to that message,” she said.
Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, an anti-extremism group that monitors anti-Muslim attacks, said the comments and the response show how social media can be used to unite people as well as divide them.
The suspect, Muhaydin Mire, has been charged with attempted murder. Prosecutors said Monday he had images associated with ISIL on his phone.