North London terror attack was apparently "motivated by Islamophobia"

A suspected terror attack in North London has killed at least one man with eight others injured after a man drove a van into a crowd of worshippers who had recently left a mosque in Finsbury Park.

The victims are thought to have been attending Ramadan prayers. Reports from the scene allege that the man yelled “I want to kill all Muslims”.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said this was a “horrific terrorist attack”, reassuring communities—particularly those observing Ramadan—that extra police have been deployed.

The van driver, a 48-year-old man, was detained by members of the public before being arrested at the scene.

Several people condemned media sources for failing to make his ethnicity part of their headlines, comparing perceived coverage of other crimes with this incident.

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“It is not a van crash,” Miqdaad Versi, Assistant Secretary General, said in a tweet, referring to one news source. “It is a ‘horrific terrorist attack’ according to the Mayor of London.”

Khan said that “it appears that a white man in a van intentionally ploughed into a group of worshippers,” adding “our prayers are with the victims and families.”

The suspect has been taken to hospital, where he will undergo a mental health assessment.

Jeremy Corbyn, the constituency MP, said that he was “shocked” by the attack. Diane Abbott, MP for the neighbouring constituency, called for the police to “urgently review security for all mosques.”

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The Muslim Council of Britain said it appears the attack was “motivated by Islamophobia.”

A statement issued by the Council pointed out that “Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia, and this is the most violent manifestation to date . . . . Muslim communities have been calling for increased action to tackle the growth in hate crime for many years and transformative action must now be taken to tackle not only this incident but the hugely worrying growth of Islamophobia.”

Figures released on 7 June suggest there has been a fivefold increase in Islamophobic attacks since the London Bridge attacks earlier this month.

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The Muslim Welfare House, believed to be the site of the attack, has appealed for calm.

Other organisations in the diverse neighbourhood have also spoken out to condemn the attack.

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