Muslim Council of Britain Calls for Extra Security at Mosques after Attack

Police officers man a cordon near the Seven Sisters Road at Finsbury Park in north London, where one person has been arrested after a vehicle struck pedestrians, leaving “a number of casualties” – PA photo.

London, 24 Ramadan 1438/19 June 2017 (MINA) – The Muslim Council of Britain has called for extra security around mosques, describing the Finsbury Park van attack as “the most violent manifestation” of Islamophobia, heraldscotland.com reported on Monday.

The council’s secretary general Harun Khan said he expected authorities to step up security “as a matter of urgency”, adding many would feel “terrorised” following the incident outside the Muslim Welfare House in Seven Sisters Road.

He said: “According to eyewitness 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.

“During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship. It appears from eyewitness 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 justice.”

Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation, a Muslim organisation which speaks out against extremism, said: “I utterly condemn the senseless and evil van attack against Muslim worshippers outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in London. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)