AMN
The Muslim Council of Britain today condemned what is widely being described as a terror attack that has taken place at Finsbury Park in London.
The incident took place outside the Muslim Welfare House on Seven Sisters Road, not the nearby Finsbury Park Mosque. According to eye witness accounts and videos taken after the incident, it appears that a white man in a van intentionally ploughed into a group of worshippers who were already tending to someone who had been taken ill. We do not know how many were injured or killed, but our prayers are with the victims and families.
Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: “During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship. My prayers are with the victims and their families. It appears from eye witness accounts that the perpetrator was motivated by Islamophobia.
Over the past weeks and months, Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia, and this is the most violent manifestation to date.
Given we are approaching the end of the month of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid with many Muslims going to local mosques, we expect the authorities to increase security outside mosques as a matter of urgency.
Muslim communities have been calling for increased action to tackle the growth in hate crime for many years and transformative action must now be taken to tackle not only this incident but the hugely worrying growth in Islamophobia.
Many will feel terrorised, no doubt be angry and saddened by what has taken place tonight. We urge calm as the investigation establishes the full facts, and in these last days of Ramadan, pray for those affected and for just