20 June 2017
Director of UniSA’s Centre for Islamic Thought and Education, Professor Mohamad Abdalla says the killing of one British Muslim and the injuring of many more outside the Finsbury Mosque in London on 19 June 2017 is an act of terror that must be condemned.
“Like previous indiscriminate killings that took place in Manchester and London earlier, this crime cannot be justified and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” Prof Abdalla says.
“We feel deeply for the families of the victims and offer them our heartfelt condolences.
“We stand with them, and pray for their strength in these difficult times.
“We are heartened to see Jews, Christians and other British citizens stand united against this attack.”
Prof Abdalla says the murder of any person, Muslim or non-Muslim is reprehensible and defies all religious teachings.
“Murder is a crime and a sin of the highest order, and must be condemned,” he says.
“The cold-blooded killing of any human being is a sign of moral and spiritual depravity.
“Unfortunately we know it is often fuelled by hate-mongering and racist rhetoric, so we need to do everything to resist that kind of hate wherever we find it.
“As countless Muslim leaders have condemned ISIS, other terror groups, the Manchester bombings and the London Bridge killings as barbaric and criminal, we expect our political leaders in Australia to do the same regarding the Finsbury Park terrorist attack.”
Prof Abdalla says such condemnation will send a strong message to everyone that all types of terrorism and indiscriminate killings are unacceptable regardless of religion.
“Prime Minister Teresa May condemned the Finsbury Park terror as a ‘terrible terrorist attack’ and ‘an evil borne out of hatred’,” he says.
“It would be good to see politicians such as Pauline Hanson and Cory Bernardi, who have been very vocal about other attacks, also come out and condemn the Finsbury Park terrorist attack. This would demonstrate that they are against all forms of indiscriminate killings, against all forms of terrorism.
“Racism and terrorism, in their many forms, including Islamophobia, serve to carve great divisions in society and must always be condemned,” Prof Abdalla says.
“We must not fall victim to hate and racism.
“Working together as one people to prevent all forms of extremism, we need to resist all religious, racist and sectarian rhetoric that fuels division and violence,” Prof Abdalla says.
More information about the Centre and its goals is available here.
Contact Details: Professor Mohamad Abdalla Mohamad.abdalla@unisa.edu.au (08) 83024910
