Head of Public Policy Tim Dieppe comments on yesterday’s terrorist attack on a synagogue in north Manchester
On Yom Kippur, the holiest Jewish festival of the year, we heard the horrific news of a terrorist attack on a Jewish synagogue in Manchester. Our thoughts and prayers go up for all the victims and their relatives and to the entire Jewish community in this country who are reeling from this news.
The attacker, named by police as Jihad Al-Shamie, appeared to be wearing explosives and was shot dead by police officers. As I write, we know that two Jewish victims have died (one of the victims of the terror attack was hit by police gunfire), and another four remain in hospital. Worshippers are said to have shown incredible bravery in preventing the attacker from entering the synagogue. The police also did a remarkable job shooting the attacker within seven minutes of a call being made to emergency services.
ISIS encouraged the slaughter of Christians and Jews
Only last week we learned that ISIS called for the slaughter of Christians and Jews in the UK and elsewhere. The notice read:
“Excerpts, o lions of Island… chase your prey or Jews, Christians, and their allies in the streets and roads of prescious America, Europe, and the world. Break into their homes, kill them, and punish them by any means you can, Keep in mind that you are the hand of the Islamic State today, striking at the heart of the infidels, and avenging Muslims in Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and all Muslim lands.
“Perfect the plans and diversify the operations: Blow up with explosives, burn with incendiary bombs, shoot with fatal bullets, cut and slaughter with sharp knives, run over and crush with buses, and the sincere will not lack a trick to bleed the hearts of Jews, Christians, and their allies, and heal the cheast of a believing people from them.” [sic]
Perhaps this is a coincidence, but it is a remarkable coincidence if so. Al-Shamie appeared to target members of the public with his car before stabbing people with a knife. We understand that the device he was wearing, that was treated by police as an explosive device, was non-viable. Nevertheless, three different methods of harm were perpetrated or simulated by Al-Shamie, all of which were mentioned in the ISIS notice. The arrest of two men and a woman on suspicion of their involvement suggests this may have been a terrorist cell.
Rising antisemitism
There has been a massive increase in antisemitism since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023. Marches in support of Palestinians have been openly antisemitic, chanting the genocidal chant that “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free”, and saying “Globalize the Intifada” which is understood to be advocating violence against supporters of Israel.
Police have taken no action against these chants. Rather, they threatened to arrest a man who was told he was “openly Jewish” for being near a pro-Palestine march. Public outcry forced an apology.
In July this year, a report into antisemitism in the UK found an unacceptable increase in anti-Jewish discrimination around the country, and described hearing “shocking experiences” from Jewish individuals. Another report published in May found a significant increase in antisemitic incidents on UK university campuses since October 2023.
If we are to protect Jewish people in the United Kingdom from acts of violence, we will need to start treating these incidents seriously as incitement to violence.
The Islamic connection
Last year I took part in an online debate on the question Is Islam Antisemitic? which can be viewed online.
In the debate I argued that Islam as defined by its texts is indeed antisemitic. I quoted multiple texts to demonstrate this. I subsequently wrote up my notes in a series of articles outlining antisemitism in the Qur’an, antisemitism in the Hadith and Sirah, apparently ‘philosemitic’ texts, antisemitism in Islamic history, and antisemitism in modern Islam. I was not short of evidence for each of these articles. These articles are also reproduced in my book The Challenge of Islam.
The most famous antisemitic Islamic text is the so-called apocalyptic hadith which reads:
“Allah’s Messenger said, “The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. ‘O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.’” (Sahih Bukhari 4:52:177; see also Sahih Bukhari 4:52:176; Sahih Muslim 41:6985)
This hadith was cited in Hamas’s founding charter, article seven. Two footnotes explained:
- Reference is made to the Day of judgement. This tradition (Hadith), which is imputed to the Prophet, has been often quoted in Islamic literature, old and modem. The Egyptian troops who launched the assault on the Bar-Lev Line in October 1973, were equipped with “booklets of guidance” which included, inter alia, this same quotation.
- Bukhari and Muslim are the authors of the two most authoritative and widely accepted collections of hadith (traditions of the Prophet).
A 2011 poll found that 73% of Palestinians agreed with this Hadith. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Mufti Muhammad Hussein, expressed his agreement with this Hadith in 2012.
This example alone is enough to demonstrate that Islam as defined by its texts is antisemitic.
Suicide bomber treated for burns in Israeli hospital
A video went viral on social media this week, showing journalist Leland Vittert recounting his interview with a Gazan woman who accidentally poured boiling water over herself aged five or six years old. She had treated for her burns in an Israeli hospital for some years, and returned to Gaza with a pass enabling her to return to Israel. In spite of being helped by the Israeli hospital, she was persuaded to be a suicide bomber and she chose to attack the hospital that had treated her and saved her life! She was blocked and was treated again at length for her burns in Israel and also given an education, leading to a college degree.
The journalist wanted to visit this girl, expecting a story of redemption where she would be grateful for all the help she received from Israel in life-saving healthcare and education. Instead, when he showed her the video of her attempt to be a suicide bomber, she reacted by saying, “I’m thinking I almost tasted paradise.” The journalist was shocked and asked her whether she would do it again. She said “Absolutely, this is my calling in life.” The journalist tried to reason with her but failed. She still wanted to kill Jews. This is the kind of perverted antisemitic mindset that Israel is up against, and it is fuelled by antisemitic teaching in Islam itself.
Time to realise what Islam is like
Christians need to wake up to the true nature of Islam. We are seeing it on our streets. It is very real for Jews in our communities. It is a spiritual challenge.
Islam is not a peaceful religion, when judged according to its texts and by the example of Muhammad. It is deeply antisemitic. It is a very different religion to Christianity with a very different founder. We cannot ignore these differences and pretend that every act of violence or abuse perpetrated by a Muslim has nothing to do with the religion itself.
We need to love our Muslim friends and neighbours, just as we should love our Jewish friends and neighbours. And we cannot love our Muslim neighbours by denying the true nature of Islam.
