By Kerem Tuncer
Early Monday, a 48-year-old man rammed his van into a group of pedestrians next to a mosque in north London. Witnesses claimed that the man, apparently a father of four, yelled, Im going to kill all Muslims, while attacking the crowd. Even as further details are being discovered, according to the most recent police report, the assailant killed one man and injured nine others during the attack. Although the officials have not confirmed the identity of the culprit, British media identifies him as Darren Osborne.
Terrorist operation or hate crime?
A previous press release from Mayor Khans office regarding a 40% increase in racist incidents in London and a fivefold increase in the number of incidents against Muslim individuals, in particular, supports the theory that aggression against Muslims has been increasing lately. According to some, past acts carried out by extremist Islamic terrorist outfits like the ISIS, such as the Westminster Attack, the Manchester Arena bombing, and the June 2017 London attack, has been a major provocation for this act of aggression.
However, numerous prominent figures are requesting that the public should deal with this case no differently than any other terrorist attack. Mohammed Shafiq, head of the Ramadan Foundation group, specifically demanded that if this attack is confirmed as a deliberate terrorist attack then this should be classed as an act of terrorism, as opposed to a crime of hatred.
Moreover, opinions of Muslim social media users and figures like JK Rowling have sparked the debate regarding whether the incident classifies as an act of terror or a hate crime. It is quite possible that this incident qualifies as both as it entails criminal violence seeking political results, caused by racial or religious prejudice.
Public responses
Fortunately, both left-wing and right-wing politicians have taken the issue seriously and expressed their condemnat?ons towards this act of terror. Jeremy Corbyn has publicly announced his feelings on the issue and called on everyone to stand together against such acts of violence and disharmony. Similarly, Theresa May sympathised with the victims of the incident and will soon be holding a meeting with the COBRA committee, only assembled at emergency situations that need to be addressed quickly.
However, there have been individuals on the Internet that have tagged the unfortunate incident as a taste of their (Muslim community) own medicine or the result of karma. Some believe that the attack was deliberately planned for the Finsbury Park mosque, because of its controversial history. The mosque had previously been linked to Al Qaeda operations and other instances of Islamic fundamentalism, being inactive between 2003 and 2005 due to terror investigations.
A dangerous uncertainty
The London police announced that they are currently investigating the issue and its possible connections to far-right organisations. At the moment, no direct evidence suggests a link with a larger group or organisation. Officials believe that Osborne was working alone. Now, there is a new question that arises – will there be a follow-up terror attack from the Muslim community?
Foreseeing the threat of a reactionary attack, the police have deployed extra resources around mosques and major tourist attractions in London. The police stated that these additional precautions had been taken to protect both Muslim and non-Muslim communities from any imminent attacks.
It is entirely possible that a reactionary attack might take place in the following days. The fact that this incident occurred during the holy month of Ramadan near a location of worship has the potential to catalyse a much severe reaction.
Featured Image Credits: Visual Hunt