tagged w/ Exeter explosion
-
Muslim leaders and equality groups have called for unity following Thursday's explosion in Exeter city centre with many Muslims attending Friday prayers at Exeter Mosque and Cultural Centre, in York Road at Friday prayers spoke of their shock at what had happened.
Religious leader Mohammed Abrar, speaking on behalf of the trustees of the Islamic Centre of the South West, said:
"Islam abhors all acts of terrorism. Islam and all religions teach us love, mercy, forgiveness and peace.
"There is no doubt that any act of terror is a great sin in the eyes of God. In fact, such evil deeds make us all victims, including the Muslim community.
"It is our humanity that must bring us together to condemn, oppose, and overcome those who would spread fear."
Mr Abrar said he and the trustees extended their thanks to the emergency services for conducting an efficient and effective operation.
He added: "Those who planned suspected acts of terrorism wanted to demoralise us as a nation and divide us as a people. We must remain united in our common determination, so that terror cannot and will not succeed."
Abid Mohammed, 42, of Okehampton Road who converted to Islam in 2004.
He said: "At Exeter Mosque we teach people to care for and love one another, not to hurt people."
Theeb Aldrossy, 29, a student at Exeter University, said he hoped there would be no backlash against the Muslim community.
"The people of Exeter are lovely," he said. "They respect us and we respect them."
Nazrul Islam, 30, said:
"Islam is a religion about peace. I come to the mosque every Friday and we are always taught to be safe, to look after everyone and everything. This gives a bad impression of Muslims, but you cannot put all people into one box. Just because one Muslim is doing something does not mean others will follow."
David Wright, a spokesman for the Olive Tree Association, which provides help and support for ethnic minorities, said he hoped the community of Exeter would come together in defiance of terrorism rather than letting fear divide groups.
"We should be learning more about each other in order to understand different cultures," he said. "That happens all the time in schools and community centres with people working together, but what scares me is that can all be undone.
"When something like this happens there is often a backlash. You get Islamaphobia, you get people assuming that any Muslim or anyone with different colour skin is somehow implicated or a suspect. That is completely daft and wrong."
Linda Ramdeen, operational director of Devon Equality Council, said she had heard of at least two instances of Muslim people being verbally abused in the street since the explosion in Exeter on Thursday.
"There will be an impact," she said. "But there's a lot of love around. I have faith in people that they won't allow this to put the agenda back and let it affect the next generation. I hope we can move on from this."
Muslim leaders and equality groups have called for unity following Thursday's... more
-
-
The man detained over a suspected suicide bomb attack in Exeter allegedly put the lives of 54 people in danger after he took a 75-minute bus journey from Plymouth to the restaurant.
The 22-year old, who is thought to have been radicalised by a gang of suspected Muslim radicals monitored by police and MI5, received a text message of "encouragement" hours before the nailbomb attack in the family restaurant.
Nicky Reilly allegedly got on a double-decker Stagecoach bus at around 10.30am and got off in Exeter 60 yards from the Griaffe restaurant. The bomb went off about 50 minutes later.
Police have made the first arrests on Friday as the net closed in on the suspected radicals alleged to have groomed the bomber.
Sources close to the investigation said that the alleged corruption of a vulnerable young man - who suffered from Asperger's Syndrome, had a history of self harm and had attempted suicide several times - was a "new horrific low" for Muslim extremism in Britain.
Detectives believe Mr Reilly planned to commit suicide and allegedly had help in constructing three "rudimentary but viable" bombs that had never been seen in Britain before. They were constructed from sodium hydroxide, aluminium foil strips and an essential oil, combined with kerosene.
It was confirmed that there were three devices in a bag packed with nails. One was partially detonated in the toilets of a restaurant in the Princesshay centre. The other two failed to go off.
"It could be set off by shaking the mixture but we are still not sure if the device was being primed or it was actually planned to be set it off in the toilets, in the belief it would blow out the whole restaurant" the source added.
"If it had gone up it would certainly have caused a huge fireball and the idea that this was happening in a family restaurant packed with children is awful."
Special Branch officers were monitoring a group of alleged radicals in Plymouth, where Mr Reilly lives with his mother. Early investigations suggest comparisons with an al-Qaeda "inspired" attack but not one necessarily directed by a senior figure. The man detained over a suspected suicide bomb attack in Exeter allegedly put the... more
-
-
kushan
-
added this
-
4 years ago
- |
-
A Muslim convert accused of trying to set off three homemade nail bombs in a packed shopping centre in Exeter received a text message of encouragement on the day of the attacks, the Daily Telegraph has learned.
Investigating officers suspect Nicky Reilly, 22, who has learning difficulties, planned to commit suicide but do not think he could have constructed the bombs without help.
He received a message on his mobile phone on the day of the attacks which officers believe amounted to a "message of encouragement."
“He has a very low IQ and has received treatment on more than one occasion for mental illness. He would be very easily led," a police source said.
“This really does mark a low point for Muslim extremists. We are all horrified by what has happened here."
The comments came as armed police investigating the bombing arrested two men outside a cafe today.
Eyewitnesses said the arrests took place this afternoon in Old Town Street, in the centre of Plymouth, Reilly's home town.
Both men were reportedly searched and put into paper suits before being placed in unmarked cars
Reilly had allegedly been using a type of rudimentary bomb not employed by Muslims extremists in Britain before which was constructed from sodium hydroxide, aluminium foil strips and an essential oil, combined with kerosene.
The source confirmed that there were nails in the bag containing the devices, one of which partially detonated in the toilets of a restaurant in the Princesshay centre. The other two failed to go off.
“It could be set off by shaking the mixture but we are still not sure if he was priming the device or actually planned to set it off in the toilets, believing it would blow out the whole restaurant" the source added.
“If it had gone up it would certainly have caused a huge fireball and the idea he was doing that in a family restaurant packed with children is awful."
Special Branch officers were monitoring a group of alleged radicals in Plymouth, where Reilly lives with his mother, which was based at a local mosque but Reilly was on the fringes of the group.
The source said: "As part of our operations to monitor the activities of radical groups across the country we were aware of this group and of Reilly himself but he was right on the fringes of a group that did not appear to be planning any attacks.
“At the moment we are looking at 200 separate groups and this was just one of those. We were observing them at a local level but had no detailed surveillance."
Local people claim Reilly, who changed his name to Mohammed Rasheed, was"brainwashed" by a group that met at a fish and chip shop. A Muslim convert accused of trying to set off three homemade nail bombs in a packed... more
-
-
kushan
-
added this
-
4 years ago
- |
-
The Muslim convert arrested after a bomb was detonated in a restaurant in Exeter has been named as 22-year-old Nicky Reilly.The Muslim convert arrested after a bomb was detonated in a restaurant in Exeter has... more
-
-
An explosive device has detonated at a restaurant in an Exeter shopping mall.
-
