Keighley mosque leaders have said those responsible for killing a British soldier in London could not use the teachings of Islam to justify their crime.
Amjad Mahmood, secretary of the Madina Mosque in Spencer Street, described the killing of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich as an act of “savagery”.
“Extremists are not simply content with misconstruing the world in their own perception, but wish for the rest of us to partake in their sickness,” he said.
“If we embrace their narrative and lose our own sensibility, that is when we have afforded them a victory.
“The overwhelming majority of the Muslim community unreservedly condemn these scant few lunatics.”
The aftermath of last Wednesday’s killing has seen a spike in attacks on British Muslim communities. But Madina Mosque spokesman, Arafat Latif, said he was not aware of any backlash against Keighley Muslims.
Mujeeb Rahman, of the Keighley Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, said Drummer Rigby’s killing had been “horrifying”. He added the Qur’an urged people to “cover themselves in noble attributes, such as love, loyalty and respect, rather than the blood of innocent people”.
l See this week’s letters pages for further comment
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