Page 8 The Skanner June 21, 2017
News
Van Attack on London Muslims Suggests New Polarization
By Danica Kirka, Paisley
Dodds and Gregory Katz
Associated Press
LONDON — The rash of dead-
ly terror attacks that has rat-
tled Britain in recent months
took an ominous new turn on
Monday as Muslim worship-
pers became targets during
the holy month of Ramadan,
mowed down by an attack-
er who plowed a van into a
crowd leaving prayers at two
mosques in north London.
It was the same tactic Islamic
extremists used in recent as-
saults on Westminster Bridge
and London Bridge. Those
attacks and a third outside
“
in the Muslim community fol-
lowing the attack shortly af-
ter midnight that injured at
least nine people in London’s
Finsbury Park neighborhood,
which is home to a large Mus-
lim population.
Authorities said the incident
was being treated as a terror
attack.
One man died at the scene,
although he was receiving first
aid at the time and it wasn’t
clear if he died as a result of the
attack or from something else.
British media identified the
suspect as Darren Osborne, a
47-year-old Briton and father
of four living in Cardiff, Wales,
who was not known to authori-
‘Like all terrorism, in whatever
form, it shares the same fundamen-
tal goal. It seeks to drive us apart —
and to break the precious bonds of
solidarity and citizenship that we
share in this country’
a pop concert in Manches-
ter have triggered a surge in
hate crimes against Muslims
around Britain.
British authorities, includ-
ing Prime Minister There-
sa May, and Islamic leaders
moved swiftly to ease concerns
ties before the attack.
Details about the assailant
were sketchy, but the assault
— the most dramatic against
Muslims in London in recent
years — suggested a new, dan-
gerous level of polarization in
British society.
“This was an attack on Mus-
lims near their place of wor-
ship,” May said in a televised
address.
“And like all terrorism, in
whatever form, it shares the
same fundamental goal. It
seeks to drive us apart — and
to break the precious bonds of
solidarity and citizenship that
we share in this country. We
will not let this happen.”
Mayor Sadiq Khan, London’s
first Muslim mayor, also urged
residents to stand together.
“While this appears to be an
attack on a particular commu-
nity, like the terrible attacks in
Manchester, Westminster and
London Bridge, it is also an
assault on all our shared val-
ues of tolerance, freedom and
respect,” Khan said, adding
that there would be “zero toler-
ance” for hate crimes.
“We will not allow these ter-
rorists to succeed. ... We will
stay a strong city,” the mayor
said.
May said police would assess
security at mosques and pro-
vide any additional resources
needed ahead of upcoming cel-
ebrations marking the end of
Ramadan.
The Metropolitan Police
Service, already stretched by
investigations of the earlier
attacks and a high-rise apart-
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STEFAN ROUSSEAU/POOL PHOTO VIA AP
Attacker plowed into crowd of Muslims leaving prayer services
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May, right, talk to faith leaders at Finsbury Park
Mosque in north London, after an incident where where a van struck pedestrians, in
London, Monday June 19, 2017. British authorities and Islamic leaders moved swiftly
to ease concerns in the Muslim community after a man plowed his vehicle into a
crowd of worshippers outside a north London mosque early Monday, injuring at
least nine people.
ment fire that killed at least
79 people, said it was putting
extra patrols on the streets to
protect the public.
The attack occurred about
12:20 a.m. when a speeding
white van swerved into wor-
shippers
emerging
from
prayers outside the Muslim
Welfare House and nearby
Finsbury Park Mosque.
People surrounded the driv-
er and witnesses said the out-
raged crowd began attacking
him. A local imam, Mohammed
Mahmoud, said he and others
shielded the man until police
could take him away.
“By God’s grace, we were able
to protect him from harm,” the
imam said.
Police said the driver was
arrested on suspicion of the
commission, preparation or
instigation of terrorism, in-
cluding murder and attempted
murder.
Toufik Kacimi, chief execu-
See LONDON on page 11