British Muslims fear backlash after David Haines murder Communities across the UK say risk of reprisals rises with each report of violence by extremists using cloak of religion
British Muslims are bracing themselves for a backlash after the beheading of David Haines by Islamic State militants, leading community figures have said.
Harun Khan, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said a backlash was experienced virtually every time violence carried out by extremists who claimed to act in the name of religion received high-profile media coverage.
Anxiety among Muslim communities was already heightened this weekend before news of Haines's murder, after a mosque in Rotherham was attacked in the wake of a protest by the extremist English Defence League.