By Home Affairs Correspondent
London, (The Muslim News): Muslim communities and leaders across Britain have issued a united and unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attack outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur.
The assault took place on the morning of Thursday, October 2, outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall. Two worshippers, 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, both from Crumpsall, were killed. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) later admitted that one of the victims who died, along with another who was injured, were likely struck by police gunfire as armed officers attempted to neutralise the attacker.
The attack, which involved a car ramming and stabbing, left three others seriously wounded before the suspect was shot dead by police. Another victim remains in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. In a related development, GMP confirmed that two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s had been arrested on suspicion of plotting further terrorist acts.
A UNIFIED FRONT OF CONDEMNATION
The Manchester Council of Mosques, which was “shocked” and “saddened” by the attacks, in Manchester., said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, their family, and the Jewish community at this distressing time.”
In a statement, they said Manchester “has always been a city where people of all faiths and backgrounds live side by side and any attempt to divide us through violence or hatred will fail — we remain united in our commitment to peace and mutual respect,” and “united against hatred and committed to peace, justice, and respect for all.”
They set the tone for the Muslim community’s response, stating, “Manchester has always been a city where people of all faiths and backgrounds live side by side.”
This sentiment was echoed nationally by the UK’s largest and most diverse Muslim umbrella organisation, with over 500 local and national organisations, Muslim Council of Britain, which said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the Jewish community at this difficult time. That this incident has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more distressing. As a Muslim community we stand in solidarity against any terrorists who aim to take the lives of worshippers.”
The British Muslim Trust offered a forceful condemnation, with CEO Akeela Ahmed calling the attack “shocking and utterly abhorrent.” She stated, “To commit these acts on Yom Kippur is sickening… There is never, and can never be any place for this sort of despicable, cowardly violence in our society. The British Muslim Trust stands with all victims of hate, and in particular today with the Jewish Community.”
Echoing this, the Muslim Women’s Network (UK) said, “We utterly condemn this disgraceful attack and offer our support to those left to pick up the pieces. We ask Muslims and all communities to look out for each other and remain vigilant. We know there are some who will seek to exploit this violence to deepen the division they seek – we must not let them.”
LANDMARK INTERFAITH ACCORD CITED
In a significant collective statement, prominent Muslim leaders who are signatories to the Drumlanrig Accords — a landmark covenant between major Muslim and Jewish denominations — issued a theologically grounded condemnation.
“In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,” the statement began. “The tragic events at a synagogue in Manchester, on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar and within a house of worship, have profoundly shaken our communities.” The leaders grounded their message in the Qur’an, quoting, “Whoever kills one soul, it is as if he has slain all of humanity”.
They explicitly defined the Accords as “a covenant – a moral contract – between Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in Britain to reject violence, uphold peace, and protect civilians of all backgrounds.”
OFFICIAL RESPONSE AND INVESTIGATION DETAILS
On a national level, Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, condemned the attack, stating, “I’m horrified by the violent attack at a synagogue in Manchester. I have been in contact with the Mayor of Greater Manchester and the Home Secretary and would like to reassure Londoners that the Met Police are stepping up patrols in Jewish communities and synagogues across London. My thoughts are with all those affected on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. London stands ready to help in any way we can.”
Photo: A police forensic tent stands outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on October 2, following a terror attack that killed two people. (Credit Giannis Alexopoulos/AA)
POLICE CONFIRM ONE VICTIM FATALLY SHOT BY OFFICERS
Greater Manchester Police provided critical details, confirming that the assailant, 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, was not armed and that one victim died from a police bullet.
Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson explained that the fatal shot was fired by police “as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm.” He described the death as “a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action.”
The police response concluded within seven minutes of the first alert. Al-Shamie had driven into a group of people and stabbed a man before attempting to enter the synagogue. He was shot dead by armed officers at the scene.
FAMILY OF ATTACKER CONDEMNS “HEINOUS ACT”
Jihad Al-Shamie’s father, Faraj, who works as a trauma surgeon in war zones around the globe, issued a statement expressing the family’s shock and distancing them from the atrocity. He said the news “has been a profound shock to us.”
“The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians. We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort,” the statement said, adding, “May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Photo: A makeshift memorial of flowers grows at the scene outside the synagogue, paying tribute to the victims on October 2. (Credit: Giannis Alexopoulos/AA)
