Politicians and UK community leaders urged the country to unite on Thursday in the aftermath of the murder of a British soldier in Woolwich, London, an incident widely described as a terrorist attack.
The soldier, identified as 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death by two men, one of whom has been named as Michael Adebolajo, in broad daylight near military barracks in Woolwich. The killers, who were previously know to security and intelligence services, stopped and spoke to bystanders, threatening that the British public would not be safe while soldiers remained stationed in the Middle East.
The men were shot and taken into custody by police.
The Muslim Council of Britain said:
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
However, despite efforts to calm anger at the killing, there is widespread fear of backlash against Muslim communities.
Members of the English Defence League (EDL) clashed with police in Woolwich on Wednesday, and a man was arrested in connection with an attack on an Essex mosque.
Reports are also emerging of further arrests of a man and a woman in relation to the killing.
The soldier, identified as 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death by two men, one of whom has been named as Michael Adebolajo, in broad daylight near military barracks in Woolwich. The killers, who were previously know to security and intelligence services, stopped and spoke to bystanders, threatening that the British public would not be safe while soldiers remained stationed in the Middle East.
The men were shot and taken into custody by police.
The Muslim Council of Britain said:
"This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly."
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
"This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life, it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country. There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act. We will defeat violent extremism by standing together, by backing our police and security services, and above all, by challenging the poisonous narrative of extremism on which this violence feeds."
However, despite efforts to calm anger at the killing, there is widespread fear of backlash against Muslim communities.
Members of the English Defence League (EDL) clashed with police in Woolwich on Wednesday, and a man was arrested in connection with an attack on an Essex mosque.
Reports are also emerging of further arrests of a man and a woman in relation to the killing.