London mosque attack

They are likely to be self-radicalising as any other and may not belong to any particular group or known organisation.

A white man in a white van drove into a crowd of people, all Muslims, soon after midnight in Finsbury Park, London. One man died — who may or may not have died as a direct result of the incident involving the van — and 10 others were injured. As with all incidents of this nature there was initial confusion and conflicting statements. The passing hours have brought some clarity and a crucial definition — both the British government and the Metropolitan police are treating this as a terrorist incident.

The 48-year-old man driving the van was detained by people at the site of the attack and they displayed ‘considerable restraint’, according to Deputy Superintendent Basu in a public statement to the media at 09.09 GMT. The man was arrested and due legal process will follow — as will endless speculation as to motive, the man’s antecedents, the performance of the police and the emergency services and reactions from the Muslim and non-Muslim communities.



Three times in the last year vehicles have been used to attack pedestrians in the UK. All have been investigated by counterterrorism units and this case is to be no different. As yet little is known about the alleged perpetrator beyond his age and being white, with the latter detail being of importance. This was an attack which appears to deliberately target Muslims. It cannot be assumed that it will be the last such. Extremists come in many stripes and colours, and are as likely to be white Caucasian as any other ethnic group.

They are as likely to be self-radicalising as any other and may not belong to any particular group or known organisation. What will now be closely watched is media reaction and public response to the incident. Will the media give equal space to an attack on Muslims as they have to attacks carried out by Muslims? Will the wider and majority non-Muslim public and Londoners in general show the same warmth of spirit and community cohesion? The police will be scrupulously careful not to put a foot wrong. Likewise politicians. Our thoughts are with the dead and injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2017.

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