We were disappointed to read about the apparent decision to refuse a request for a public memorial to Fusilier Lee Rigby (Comment, May 17), and hope this can be reconsidered. Lee Rigby’s murder shocked our country. In its wake, we saw Britons from every faith and none come together, both locally and nationally, to mourn his death, to commemorate his service, and to reject the hatred of his killers.
Extreme groups such as the BNP and EDL did try to exploit the tragedy, but found very little public support, being widely seen as part of the problem too. The Rigby family, in their grief, were consistently strong voices in challenging the tiny, unrepresentative minority who sought to use his name to stir up hatred.
If the family’s desire is to have a memorial, neither they, nor the British public as a whole, should be denied the chance to commemorate Lee Rigby’s service and sacrifice in a proper way.
Sughra Ahmed
President, Islamic Society of Britain
Mohammed Amin
Deputy Chairman, Conservative Muslim Forum
Sunny Hundal
Journalist
Dilwar Hussein
New Horizons in British Islam
Sunder Katwala
British Future
Nick Lowles
Hope Not Hate
Imam Ajmal Masoor
Stephen Pollard
Editor, Jewish Chronicle
Stephen Shashoua
Director, Three Faiths Forum
Julie Siddiqi
The Big Iftar