This morning, Counter Terrorism Police began investigating an antisemitic attack on a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets. Cllr Sirajul Islam, Leader of Tower Hamlets Labour Group and Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets, has issued the following statement.
“In the last year, we have seen a dramatic rise in violent antisemitic attacks against British Jews. The religious violence and persecution that has become a regular occurrence in our country is becoming normalised.
Only last week we saw the terrifying attack in Golders Green where two Jewish men were stabbed in broad daylight. Last year in Manchester, we saw a similar attack. Arson, graffiti, abuse, all designed to intimidate.
This morning it came closer to home. Counter Terrorism Police are investigating an arson attack on a former synagogue on Nelson Street in Whitechapel. What makes this particularly striking is that a Muslim community group had been trying to buy that building and convert it into a mosque and community centre. Whoever set this fire was targeting a site of Jewish heritage that a Muslim group hoped to give a new lease of life. That tells you exactly what these attacks are designed to do: divide communities that in Tower Hamlets choose to stand together.
As British Bangladeshis and as Muslims, we know what this feels like because we have experienced the same thing.
Yesterday we marked Altab Ali Day, commemorating a young man who in 1978 was stabbed and murdered in a racist attack in Whitechapel. As children we walked past the racist graffiti, survived the assaults, the arson and the abuse that targeted us because of our ethnicity and our faith. This is what is happening to British Jews today.
No one in Tower Hamlets should have to hide who they are. No one should have to think twice about the clothes they wear or how they express their faith. We will fight for every resident’s right to live openly and without fear, and we will push the council to pursue every penny of the new government funding for faith community security.
Our No Place for Hate programme exists because residents here understand that hatred against one community is a threat to all of us. The government has made significant new funding available for faith buildings and community programmes, but they must go further and ask why the Prevent programme is repeatedly failing to keep our communities safe.
Our borough has a proud history of standing up to hatred, racism and fascism. We will continue to defend and speak up for Jewish people in Tower Hamlets. We are one borough, one East End.”
Councillor Sirajul Islam
Leader of Tower Hamlets Labour Group
Candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets