Mosque Safety

Recommended listening from Radio 4 on mosque safety and anti-Muslim prejudice. I hope this gets an outing on BBC World Service, as it deserves a wide audience. BBC Radio 4, 'My Name is Samayya: How Safe Are Our Mosques?'

Finsbury Park - trial

BBC News, Darren Osborne guilty of Finsbury Park mosque murder, 1 Feb 2018 "A man who drove a van into a crowd of Muslims near a London mosque has been found guilty of murder."

Also see the statement from the Metropolitan Police

The Guardian, Finsbury Park attack: man 'brainwashed by anti-Muslim propaganda' convicted, 1 Feb 2018 "The Guardian understands a review has been launched into the extreme right by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre. Sources say it is assessing how determined they are to kill, how able they are to murder, what their motivations are, and how they spread their propaganda and get recruits."

Finsbury Park attack - trial

Daily Mail, CCTV 'captures the moment Finsbury Park murderer ploughed his rental van into a crowd of Muslim worshippers leaving one man dead after asking for directions to the nearest mosque', 23 Jan 2018 Comprehensive coverage of this case, showing the roles of social media and internet content. Also see Wales Online, Cardiff man accused of carrying out Finsbury Park attack told pub-goers 'I’m going to kill all Muslims', court hears, 23 Jan 2018

#FinsburyPark - updated

This is a summary of coverage. My Twitter feed contains further updated materials:

BBC News, Eyewitness Hamza Nimane describes what he saw

Telegraph, Finsbury Park mosque tragedy in pictures

Guardian, Finsbury Park terror attack: 'Every bit as sickening' as previous attacks, says Theresa May – latest updates

 BBC News, Footage shows the moment crowds restrain man suspected of driving van into pedestrians near #FinsburyPark mosque 

Metro,  Imam from Muslim welfare centre protected Finsbury Park suspect from angry crowds

Archbishop of Canterbury's statement 

Guardian, Religious leaders unite in condemnation of Finsbury Park attack

Nesrine Malik, Guardian, After Finsbury Park, Britain must tackle its preachers of anti-Muslim hate

Qari Asam, Telegraph, Britain is not Islamophobic. This is one of the best countries in the world to be a Muslim [paywall]

The Times' headline is proving controversial, and has been compared with the London Bridge attack. The headline (and sub-header) on the right presents numerous cliches and stereotypes:


Metro, Son of Finsbury Park van hire company owner says: ‘It’s a shame we don’t hire out tanks’

Mirror, Daughter held dad as he died in her arms moments after Finsbury Park terror van 'ran over his legs'

Independent, Facebook posts 'glorifying' Finsbury Park terror attack reported to Government counter-extremism service 

Independent, Finsbury Park mosque attack: EDL founder Tommy Robinson's appearance on Good Morning Britain sparks outrage "Piers Morgan branded Mr Robinson a "bigoted lunatic" and told him to "show some damn respect for people’s religious beliefs" as Mr Robinson held up the Islamic holy book." Also see Daily Mail, Former EDL leader Tommy Robinson slammed on Twitter after he accuses Finsbury Park Mosque of 'creating terrorists' just one hour after people were mown down outside a place of worship

New York Times,   An Attack on Muslims Shakes Cosmopolitan London

Chris Allen, Huffington Post, Why Theresa May Is Wrong To Suggest That Islamophobia Is A Form Of Extremism 

Abu Hamza case

Guardian, Abu Hamza found guilty of 11 terrorism charges, 20 May 2014 "Hamza was accused of being a terrorist of global reach, and was charged with providing material support to terrorist organizations by enabling hostage-takers in the Yemen kidnapping to speak on a satellite phone, by sending men to establish an al-Qaida training camp in Bly, Oregon, and by sending at least one man to training camps in Afghanistan."

Abu Hamza trial

Telegraph, Abu Hamza trial: hate preacher says British wife persuaded him to turn to Islam "It was his first wife, an Englishwoman, who persuaded him to start to study Islam with her because she became interested in the religion, he explained. “She was persistent,” he said. “She pushed too hard.”"

Ken Livingstone: "I will make London a beacon of Islam"

Andrew Gilligan, Telegraph, Ken Livingstone: I will make London a beacon of Islam, 23 Mar 2012 "Ken Livingstone has promised to turn London into a “beacon” for the words of the Prophet Mohammed in a sermon at one of the capital’s most controversial mosques."

Ken Livingstone's "sermon" is here: