Attack victims hit out at extremism in open letter

More than 50 victims of Islamist-inspired terror attacks have signed a joint letter against what they describe as anti-Muslim hate.

They warn it is "irresponsible" for some politicians to equate extremists with "the vast majority of British Muslims who deplore such violence".

Survivors and relatives of those killed during attacks in London, Manchester and Brussels are among the signatories.

It comes as the government prepares to set out a new definition of extremism.

The letter says "Islamist-inspired extremism is the country's most pressing terror threat, but not the only one".

"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," it reads.

However the signatories say in recent weeks there have been "too many cases where politicians and others have failed to do this" adding those intervening have, in some cases, equated "being Muslim with being an extremist."

Their letter warns that responding to the Islamist threat by "feeding far-right extremism, dividing communities and exaggerating the risk will feed a cycle of extremism that will put more people at risk".

The 57 signatories to the letter include Magen Inon, whose parents were killed by Hamas during the 7 October attacks on Israel.

Other people who signed the letter include Rebecca Rigby, whose husband Lee was killed by two men with extremist views outside Woolwich barracks in 2013, and Figen and Stuart Murray whose son Martyn was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.

Claudia Vince, who survived the 2019 London Bridge attack, and Charlotte Dixon-Sutcliffe, whose partner David was killed in the Brussels Metro bombing in 2016, have also added their names.

"We also know where anti-Muslim hate can lead," the letter continues.

It notes the upcoming fifth anniversary of shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 in which 51 worshippers were killed.

Darryn Frost, who used a narwhal tusk to disrupt an attack on London Bridge in 2019, told the BBC's Broadcasting House that he and the other signatories of the letter lived with the lasting impact of terrorism incidents.

"It is not something we take likely, it is not something that we as a group look lightly upon when we see leaders being so flippant with these things and using them as political tools to win votes - its cheap, its nasty and its dangerous."

Meanwhile, Communities Secretary Michael Gove plans to set out a new official definition of extremism that will be used by the government to cut ties or funding to any groups deemed to have crossed the line.

The new definition will replace one in the existing Prevent counter-radicalisation programme, giving "more specificity", and will enable the government and other public bodies to ban funding and engagement with Islamist and far-right groups, he said.

Currently the government defines extremism as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs".

Mr Gove is also calling for pro-Palestinian protesters not to march alongside extremists who he says are trying to "subvert democracy".

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he warns that some pro-Palestinian events "have been organised by extremist organisations".

"That doesn't mean that people who have gone on them are extremist, quite the opposite.

"But it means that you can begin to question: do you really want to be lending credence to this organisation? If you do, fair enough. But now there is no excuse for ignorance," he says.

Former Conservative Party leader Michael Howard told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that he agreed with the suggestion that parts of London had become "no-go areas" for Jewish people whilst pro-Palestinian marches are taking place.

Lord Howard, who is himself Jewish, said the right to protest was "undoubtedly a fundamental part of a free society and we must maintain the right to protest".

"But it's also unacceptable that sections of our community think that our streets are no-go areas for them - how you strike that balance, how you try and reconcile those two sometimes conflicting rights, is a really, really difficult challenge and I don't think we've quite got it right at the moment."

Earlier this week, the government's counter-extremism commissioner, Robin Simcox, urged ministers to "be willing to accept higher legal risk" when tackling extremism.

Rishi Sunak's spokesman said the PM took concerns of extremism "extremely seriously" and noted a rise in both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred.

Mr Simcox said the creation of a new definition of extremism had a "clear purpose" and would be used "to guide future decisions over who the government does and does not engage with and fund".

The issue of extremism has risen on the political agenda in the aftermath of claims by Lee Anderson, a former Tory deputy chairman, that the mayor of London Sadiq Khan was controlled by "Islamists".

Mr Sunak said the comments were "wrong", suspended him from the party and gave a speech in which he warned of forces "trying to tear the country apart".