All British citizens have been wounded by the blasphemous attack on freedom on London’s Westminster Bridge, which has resulted in the death of four people, including Metropolitan Policeman PC Palmer. British, French, Romanians, South Koreans, Germans, Polish, Irish, Chinese, Italians, Americans and Greeks were admitted to hospital. This was an attack on the democratic values of all faiths and ethnicities. But like the wounded in battle, the British keep going and will never give in to terror. Citizens and parliamentary life carried on as usual.
Although the perpetrator, Khalid Masood appears to have acted alone, ISIS has claimed to be the inspiration for the heinous attack and has since been active on YouTube with violent recruitment videos. Masood communicated via WhatsApp shortly before the attack, leading to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd criticising social media giants for allowing extremist propaganda and encrypted messages; Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft are expected to make reforms.
The Birmingham Central Mosque (BCM), which has always stood against terrorism, issued a press releases saying that nothing justifies taking the lives of innocent people and that the Islamic faith does not allow anyone to take the lives of others. They asked all terrorists to realise that such acts are the work of evil and not of God-fearing people. The BCM has recently produced a booklet entitled “Terrorism is not Islam”, supported by major mosques, Islamic organisations and West Midlands Police.
London’s Ahmadiyya community, who lost Asad Shah at the hands of an extremist in April 2016, held a prayer vigil at the Baitul Futuh Mosque, the largest mosque in western Europe. His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, hosted a National Peace Symposium on 25 March. One thousand attended to express their sympathies. His Holiness renewed the call for Muslims to return to their true faith by serving humanity “with the spirit of kindness and humility that is integral to Islam…A religion which does not inculcate compassion is no religion at all.” He added, “I call on all people to cast aside their prejudices, hate and pride and to recognise their Creator Who is the Source of Peace.” Simultaneously, a group of women, including many Muslim ladies and their children, gathered to hold hands on Westminster Bridge to demonstrate solidarity in the condemnation against terrorism.
Compassionate people all over Britain want to express their feelings, to stand united against division.