“Once again, we have witnessed horror inflicted on our streets. It has been the third time in three months: we are deeply shocked and we firmly and strongly condemn such attacks”. This was said last night by Harun Khan, general secretary of the “Muslim Council of Britain”, at a press conference with the Muslim communities of the country. But this time the Islamic communities went beyond condemnations and launched a veritable campaign in all of the country’s mosques and Islamic associations to “help with a basic response to the challenge of terrorism” by reporting “suspect activities” and stretching out a “hand of partnership and cooperation to the government and to the Prime Minister, to join forces and keep our country safe”.
Four are the messages that the British Muslims wanted to give the country though the press. The first one is “their anger”. “Everywhere, Muslims are outraged and disgusted by these cowards, who have destroyed again the life of our British friends. Then, that this happened in this month of Ramadan, when many Muslims are praying and fasting, proves that these people have no respect for life or faith”.
The second message is that the Muslim community is “determined” to cooperate with the police. “These people must not find anywhere to hide in”, Khan says. “Today, we are launching a campaign to call our mosques and associations to be on the alert”. “It is in our interest to stop them. We know that many of these people have lived in crime before. Often, the transition to extremism happens outside of the mosque and at the margins of society”. “As an expert said, this is not a radicalisation of Islam, this is an Islamisation of radicalism”: “We must strengthen our mosques, our Imams, our young leaders and other people, by giving them the tools to learn how to relate to young people and to deal with the attraction that Daesh has on them”.
The “Muslim Council”’s third message is addressed to terrorists and to people who support them: “This is not Islam. This is not the way shown by our beloved Prophet”. “These terrorists’ gestures are completely, totally and absolutely against the principles and spirit of Islam. There is no excuse for what these terrorists are doing”. And, finally, the last message is for the British: “Let’s prevent the voices of hatred raising anywhere. The London Bridge attack makes us all angry, and we want to do something. That’s why we agree with the Prime Minister that things must change. And that’s enough is enough”.