According to the "Missionary Prayer Room" of Frontline Mission (Hong Kong), a knife attack occurred in Southport, UK, on July 29, where a 17-year-old assaulted a children's dance class, resulting in the deaths of three young girls and injuries to 10 others. Immediately after the incident, far-right individuals spread false information on social media, claiming that the attacker was a "radical Muslim immigrant," sparking violent actions against Muslims. Attacks on 10 mosques were reported, Muslim-owned shops were vandalized or looted, and even vehicles were set on fire. Police reports indicate that 378 people have been detained, with several officers injured in the clashes. The Guardian commented that this is the most severe unrest in the UK in 13 years.
Violent Actions Instill Fear Among British Muslims
Nick Lowles, head of the anti-racism research group Hope Not Hate, stated that the root cause of this incident is not singular; it reflects the nature of far-right groups, driven by social media influencers to gather strength and spread false information.
On the other hand, Iman Atta, head of the charity organization Tell Mama, which monitors anti-Muslim incidents, emphasized that threats against local Muslims by far-right groups have significantly increased over the past week. These threats include rape and death threats, and hate crimes and violent incidents have tripled, leaving Muslim residents deeply unsettled. Many are afraid to publicly display their identity or visit mosques, causing the Muslim community in the UK to live in fear.
Frontline Mission (Hong Kong) is calling for more people to pray for the Muslim community, asking that Christians maintain hearts of compassion, convey God's love to Muslims, and for Muslims to embrace God's love so that fear may be cast out in perfect love.
They also pray that the British people may let go of their prejudice and hostility towards Muslims, restrain anti-Muslim sentiments, and work to resolve the tensions with the Muslim community peacefully.
Finally, they ask that God may comfort the families of the victims, and hope that the British government can appropriately handle the aftermath of these violent incidents, ensuring that the police treat those arrested fairly.
