Attack in New Zealand: Police patrol United Kingdom mosques and promise to "stand in solidarity" with Muslims after lethal shootings

Police patrol British mosques as a result of a terrorist attack targeting Muslims in New Zealand.

The head of the British anti-terrorist police said his officers "will stand in solidarity" with the Muslim communities and their counterparts in Christchurch.

"Today, we will intensify the reinsurance patrols around the mosques and strengthen the engagement of communities of all faiths, giving advice on how people and places can protect themselves," said the spokesman. Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu.

"We stand alongside our Muslim communities and all those who are shocked and horrified by this terrorist attack in New Zealand."

Police also announced plans to patrol mosques in and around Birmingham on Friday morning.

Deputy Chief of Police West Midlands Police, Matt Ward, said there was no information suggesting a heightened threat in the area, but he added, "The police will contact key religious buildings today to rebadure the local population. We will continue to work closely together and unite against those who seek, through violence and extremism, to intimidate or frighten. "

French authorities and other countries tightened security measures near religious sites after the shooting of two mosques in Christchurch, which killed 49 people.

The shooter targeted the Friday prayers in the terrorist attack, which he broadcast live on Facebook after the publication of an online manifesto raging against immigrants, Muslims and the so-called " white genocide ".

Basu said the British anti-terrorism police are keeping a close eye on the events in New Zealand.

He added, "Our international network of counterterrorism agents in the UK will be ready to help our counterparts in New Zealand respond to this appalling attack and investigate it.

"We stand in solidarity with all our communities and partners here in the UK and abroad, and we will continue to work with them to counter the threat, no matter where it comes from.

"Together with our intelligence partners, we are constantly monitoring the various threats we face, particularly to and around places of worship and specific communities across the country, to ensure that security measures are in place. more appropriate to ensure the safety of people. "

In 2017, extreme right-wing extremist Darren Osborne carried a van in front of Muslims, leaving Ramadan prayers at Finsbury Park, killing a man and injuring several others.

The security services have thwarted 14 Islamist terrorist plots and four extreme right-wing extremists since March 2017 and have registered over 700 ongoing investigations.

Official statistics released last week showed that 43% of suspected terrorists arrested in the UK are white, compared with 32% of Asian descent.

And a new study published overnight has revealed that white Britons are twice as likely to sympathize with extremism as those of Pakistani origin.

Police figures showed a sharp increase in the number of hate crimes aggravated by racism and religion following the referendum on the European Union and Isis-inspired terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom.

Iman Atta, director of the Islamophobia Monitoring Service, Tell Mama, said that anti-Muslim hatred was "becoming a global problem and a limiting factor for extreme groups and individuals." right extremists ".

"It's a threat that must be taken seriously," she added. "The New Zealand killer seems to have published a" manifesto "based on the rhetoric of white supremacy, which includes references to anti-Islamic rhetoric.

"He mentions" mbad immigration "and" an badault on our civilization "and repeatedly refers to his" white identity ".

"We have repeatedly said that right-wing extremism is a growing problem."

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were among the British politicians who sent their condolences to New Zealand after what the Prime Minister described as a "disgusting act of violence".

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for the Interior, tweeted on the tweet "he was heartbroken" and he added, "We stand alongside New Zealand and Muslims around the world against all forms of anti-Muslim racism and hatred. We will not let the extremists divide us. "

Union leader Corbyn said he was in solidarity with Muslims around the world, adding, "We must defeat the fanaticism that fuels this hatred and violence."

Baroness Warsi, a former minister of religion, said the violence began with "the demonization and defamation of communities".

We will tell you what is true. You can form your own view.

AT L & # 39; Independentno one tells us what to write. This is why, in the era of political lies and biases in Brexit, more and more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p per day for additional exclusives, events and eBooks – all without advertising

Subscribe now