A “growing tide of religious hatred” cannot be ignored, an imam has said in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack as he warned violence in the Middle East “must not be allowed to poison our streets in Britain”.
The fatal incident as Jewish people observed the holiest day in their religious calendar has been roundly condemned by various faith and community leaders.
No official information has been released on the attacker’s background, religion or possible motivation.
The Church of England’s current most senior bishop Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said he was “very shocked” to hear what had happened and was praying that “all may live alongside each other in harmony and respect”.
Echoing this, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said: “It is a duty of us all to work together to ensure a more cohesive and respectful society, one in which such violence and inhumanity have no place.”
Imam Qari Asim, co-chairman of the British Muslim Network, said he was “horrified” by an attack which was “utterly abhorrent and has no place in our society”.
The word he’s looking for is ‘Antisemitism’.
