Finsbury Park mosque welcomes guilty verdict for far-right terrorist

In this file photo, Muslims pray on a sidewalk in the Finsbury Park area of north London after a vehichle hit pedestrians. (AFP)

LONDON: A representative from the London Mosque where a far-right sympathizer crashed his van into people gathered outside, said his conviction is a reminder of the challenges in countering all forms of extremism.
Khalid Omar, secretary trustee of Finsbury Park Mosque told Arab News that they welcomed the verdict on Thursday.
“It does highlight that there is extremism of different forms which need to be faced up … but gives us no extra pleasure knowing there are these type of people in society,” he said.
Discussing the rise in hate crimes against Muslim communities in the UK he said: “I don’t think there is a magic solution,” but emphasized the need to “work together.
“We need to have a clearer plan in place on how we can make sure balanced views are heard and the voice of every community is included.”
The attack was the fourth incident blamed on terrorists in Britain in the space of three months.
Darren Osborne, 48, drove the hired vehicle into a group of Muslims gathered around father-of-six Makram Ali, 51, who had collapsed near his home after leaving late-night Ramadan prayers in Finsbury Park.
He killed Ali and injured 12 others, two seriously.
Osborne was found guilty of murder and attempted murder at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday.
The court heard how Osborne, a father of four, had not previously expressed any extremist views but become “brainwashed” by far-right material online after watching the BBC program “Three Girls,” a drama broadcast last May about events in Rochdale, northern England, where white girls were abused by gangs of mainly British Pakistani men.