UK ‘terror’ attack survivors warn against equating Muslims with ‘extremism’
Al Jazeera
Group of survivors says such language fuels anti-Muslim sentiments in the United Kingdom.
Dozens of “terror” attack survivors have urged politicians to stop equating British Muslims with “extremism”.
In an open letter published Saturday, a group of 58 survivors said such language would fuel anti-Muslim sentiments in the United Kingdom, and said using it was the “height of irresponsibility”.
The signatories included survivors of several “terror” attacks in the UK, such as the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing and the July 7, 2005 London bombing, and survivors of attacks in other countries.
“To defeat this threat the single most important thing we can do is to isolate the extremists and the terrorists from the vast majority of British Muslims who deplore such violence,” the letter, published by the advocacy group Survivors Against Terror, read.
“[But] in recent weeks there have been too many cases where politicians and others have failed to do this, in some cases equating being Muslim with being an extremist, facilitating anti-Muslim hate or failing to challenge it,” the missive added.
