Shock, horror and disgust are the words that come up again and again; in every conversation I have had with fellow Muslims, since the disgusting acts of criminal barbarity wreaked by one person who seems to have, on the face of it, used Islam, once again as a cover for his murderous tendencies.
I’m a Muslim and proud Englishman. I’m a British Muslim. It’s a lovely mix. The mix makes me a better human, son, husband, father, colleague and actually – a better Muslim.
England is the country of my birth and British people of every background are my brothers and sisters. This country has given me everything – so much more than my Pakistani heritage.
I feel; as I imagine does almost every Muslim in the UK, the same sense of revulsion that non-Muslims feel. This act was not and will never be in our name.
Some people say why don’t the Muslims come out and condemn terrorism more?
We do and we are. We are doing it in gatherings, at work-based meetings, at family get-togethers. There were many Muslims that attended the vigil at Trafalgar Square, as there will be many in attendance at other vigils and gatherings of solidarity across the UK.
We also condemn it in our prayers. We do it when our small children ask us to explain what is going on when we are watching the news.
We denounce terrorism. Terrorism has no religion. Terrorists are violent psychopaths who tarnish the name of religion.
This tragedy makes us more determined to be better at what we do than ever before.
At the National Centre of Diversity, we are fully committed to advancing Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement (FREDIE) to ensure fairness for all; and we’re determined to ensure that last week’s attack at Westminster does not deter or dampen the spirits of organisations across the UK, who are working hard to make sure that their organisations become and remain fantastic places to work for everyone.
As an organisation, we are proud to see the actions of those such as the women who gathered on Westminster Bridge on Sunday, to show solidarity with the victims of the London terror attack. This may be a small gesture but it does not diminish the feeling of support that the victims and their families can gain from it.
We are all in it together and together we are stronger. They are a fraction of one per cent. We are the rest and we shall overcome!
