One person has been left dead and up to 10 worshippers were injured after a white man plowed his van through a number of mosque-goers at Finsbury Park Mosque, located in London, England, he was heard screaming, "“I’m going to kill all Muslims”.
During the early hours of Monday, Muslims were attending Taraweeh prayers at Finsbury Park Mosque, due to the number of people inside of the mosque, some Muslims had to pray outside. A man who has been identified as a clean-shaven, white man, rammed his van into the Muslims praying outside. Witnesses from the incident managed to apprehend the van driver who has not yet been named and were able to detain him for 20-minutes before the police arrived.
Finsbury Park right now. Several casualties. pic.twitter.com/LaunwLe7B6
— Ali Habib (@Habibiline) June 19, 2017
Saleh Alamoudi a witness of the horrific incident told BuzzFeed. “He was saying, ‘I’m going to kill all Muslims, I’m going to kill all Muslims.’ He was throwing punches all over. Then when we managed to get him on the floor, he was saying, ‘Kill me, kill me.’
The white terrorist waved at the public from the back of the police van as CPR was being carried out on the injured Muslim men #FinsburyPark pic.twitter.com/T3rpB91u5V
— Majid Freeman (@Majstar7) June 19, 2017
The man was arrested by the police, he mockingly waved at the public through the windows of the police van.
Mohammed Kozbar, the chairman of the Finsbury Park Mosque tweeted,"Our thoughts and prayers with those who got injured and effected by this cowardly attack in Finsbury Park area, many casualties in the floor,".
Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said, “During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship. My prayers are with the victims and their families. It appears from eye witness accounts that the perpetrator was motivated by Islamophobia.
Over the past weeks and months, Muslims have endured many incidents of Islamophobia, and this is the most violent manifestation to date."
Harun went on to say, "Many will feel terrorised, no doubt be angry and saddened by what has taken place tonight. We urge calm as the investigation establishes the full facts, and in these last days of Ramadan, pray for those affected and for justice.”