Leamington Muslims condemn the Manchester synagogue attack

MUSLIMS in Leamington have condemned the terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue. The town’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Community expressed its profound shock and condemnation following the car ramming and stabbing attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue on Thursday (October 2), in which two people were killed and four injured.

The fact that the attack took place on Yom Kippur – the holiest day of the Jewish year – they said, made the atrocity all the more devastating.

Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, continued: “We are heartbroken at this evil act of terror and stand in full solidarity with the Jewish community, and all those affected. An attack on a synagogue, a church, or a mosque is an attack on the very conscience of our society. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones and with the Jewish community as a whole.“We condemn this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms. There can be no justification for such hatred and violence. It is incumbent upon all people of faith and goodwill to unite in the face of such evil.”

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community welcomed the swift action by the police and called on political leaders, faith leaders, and wider society to urgently strengthen efforts to root out extremism and hatred. It also urged the government to ensure robust protection of all places of worship and for all those responsible for this atrocity to face the full force of the law.

The attacker, believed to be Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35 year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, was shot dead at the scene. Warwickshire Police’s superintendent for local policing, Steve Flavell, added: “We are deeply saddened by the incident that has occurred in Manchester. Our thoughts are with all those affected, particularly those within the Jewish community.

“Here in Warwickshire, we remain vigilant and are actively monitoring the situation in coordination with national and regional partners. We would, however, encourage the public to remain alert but not alarmed, and to report any suspicious activity to us.”

Leamington Muslims condemn the Manchester synagogue attack – The Leamington Observer