One of Britain’s largest Islamic groups has said a “dramatic escalation in violence” against British Muslims needs a much tougher response from the government. Farooq Murad, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), said the bombings of three Midlands mosques marked “the crossing of a red line”.
The MCB said the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in an alleged terrorist act in Woolwich, south London, in May had unleashed an increase in violence. A series of incidents had added to “a palpable sense of fear” among Muslim communities, it said.
“The community has patiently borne the brunt of these attacks despite condemning in the strongest possible terms the tragic murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby,” Murad said. “Despite this spike in incidences, there has yet to be a co-ordinated national effort to ensure that these sorts of attacks never happen again. It cannot be right that a minority community is allowed to be targeted in this manner.”
He added: “There is an urgent need for the government and police to respond with a co-ordinated national strategy so as to prevent further attacks.”
