Two days after Lee Rigby’s horrific killing, the scene was set for a small but significant piece of community rebuilding: a delegation from the Muslim Council of Britain was to add its own tribute to the mass of flowers at the scene of his death. Then, at brisk walk in the pouring rain, arrived the last person some might wish to see at such a time: Nick Griffin.
The BNP leader, flanked by a burly aide and an even burlier bodyguard, insisted he was there purely as a politician – Rigby’s family comes from his north-west England European Parliament constituency – and to “pay my personal respects”. But no sooner were the cameras rolling than Griffin launched into his well-worn patter about Britain’s supposedly radicalised Muslim population and how its was ignored by “the liberal elite, politicians and mass media”.
Fortunately, the MCB were delayed, the group’s deputy general secretary, Shuja Shafi, laying his own flowers after Griffin had gone. Shafi was at pains to say, he was there purely to mourn “the loss of a bright young man, a father, a husband and a brother”.
It was a message reflected in other flowers left at the busy junction by Zahida Ahmad, a Muslim who has lived in Woolwich for 45 years. “Lee Rigby, we are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of an innocent life,” read her card. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.”
If there is a wider message from the reaction in south-east London and more widely around Britain since Rigby’s death it is that Muslim groups are doing all they can to counter the divisive intent of the killers.
Perhaps the biggest single expression of solidarity came at the East London mosque, in Tower Hamlets, as leaders of the Christian, Jewish and Buddhist faiths joined around 6,000 Muslims for Friday prayers.
The group included the Bishop of Stepney, Adrian Newman, and Leon Silver from the East London central synagogue. Speaking before prayers started they said they had come to condemn the Woolwich attacks and show that the various faith communities were standing shoulder to shoulder with their Muslim neighbours.
“Here in Tower Hamlets we do support each other in our different faiths,” said Rev Alan Green, chair of the Tower Hamlets interfaith forum. “If there are attempts to demonise parts of our community – particularly the Muslim community – we will stand together. We will not leave our Muslim brothers and sisters to attempt to defend themselves.”
Nonetheless, as well as sadness over the events in Woolwich there was fear among Muslim worshippers over what it may mean for them. “My sisters, my daughter – even my wife are now scared to go out because they fear what people may do after this,” said Mizan Abdulrof. “Everyone is shocked and distraught about the horrendous act that was carried out. These idiots, these poor idiots, who carried out this barbaric act did so for their own self for nothing else … they have nothing whatever to do with Islam. Our hearts go out to that man and his poor family.”
The latest figures for attacks against Muslims showed that these fears are not unfounded. The Tell Mama hotline for recording Islamophobic crimes and incidents recorded 148 incidents since the Woolwich attacks took place, including eight attacks on mosques.
Tell Mama co-ordinator Fiyaz Mughal said the service usually recorded three or four incidents on an average day, but the spike after Wednesday’s killing showed no sign of slowing down.
To add to the growing tensions, far right groups such as the English Defence League and BNP are still trying to whip up division between communities.
The EDL, whose balaclava-clad supporters fought battles with the police in Woolwich hours after the killing, is due to hold a demonstration in Newcastle on Saturday and has called another protest outside Downing Street on Monday. Meanwhile the British National party has called a separate demonstration in Woolwich for 1 June.
Nick Lowles from anti-extremism organisation Hope not Hate said: “There are people who are deliberately trying to wind the situation up and incite a violent response against Muslims. We need people to stay calm but also we need the mainstream majority to speak out against extremism. Britain is better than the extremists.”
Back at the East London mosque, sheikh Abdul Qayum condemned “without qualification the horrendous crime committed in Woolwich”.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim. The actions of the perpetrators are totally against the religion of Islam and the example of the prophet Muhammad. Today we reaffirm this and stand with those of all faiths and none to oppose this terrible act.”
At the closest major mosque to the attack, the Greenwich Islamic Centre, the mood ahead of Friday prayers were similar, albeit tinged with an air of weary resignation at being forced to defend their faith.
“Islam makes it very clear that if you murder one person you murder all of humanity,” said one young mosque-goer, a Birmingham-born Christian convert who gave his name only as Mohammed. “But this is automatically a ‘Muslim crime’. When Stuart Hazell killed Tia Sharp, did anyone mention he was brought up a Christian? No.”
Mohammed said he felt particularly keenly about current events given that the two suspected killers are themselves converts to Islam: “But they’re nothing to do with Islam and nothing to do with the mosque. I’ve never seen either of them here. And yet we’re going to have to explain ourselves to journalists all day.”