Egypt condemns London mosque attack

CAIRO – 19 June 2017: Egypt has condemned the terrorist attack that targeted Muslims early Monday morning after they finished their pre-dawn prayers at mosque in north London, near Finsbury Park Station.

“We refuse all kinds of acts that aim to intimidate civilians, and discriminate between them according to their race, sex or belief,” the Foreign Ministry said in a press release Monday.

The statement offered condolences to the victims’ families, and said Egypt strongly supports the British people and the government against terrorism.

Earlier, Al-Azhar issued a statement condemning the attack. “We refuse this terrorist attack and ask the European counties to take all security measures needed in order to contain the Islamophobia phenomenon which puts Muslims around the world in real danger,” Al-Azhar Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Said in his statement.

At least 10 civilians were hit by a van after their pre-dawn prayers early Monday. British Police considered the incident a terrorist attack, adding that all the victims were Muslim. There we no fatalities.

The 48-year-old terrorist was arrested after being seen by some of the eyewitnesses. He was identified by the police as a right-wing racist “hostile” to Muslims and immigrants.

London mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the attack, saying more security measures will be added for mosques in London during the remaining day of Ramadan, which ends next week.

“This is a truly horrific terrorist attack on our city that deliberately targeted innocent Londoners,” Khan said in a statement after the attack.

A similar terrorist attack took place just two weeks earlier, on June 3, 2017, when three terrorist attackers drove their van into pedestrians on London Bridge. According to police, eight people were killed and 48 injured in the attack.