Theresa May has issued a new plea to Muslims to help “defeat extremism” in Britain during a visit to a London mosque during which she warned that hardline groups are trying to foment religious hatred.
The Home Secretary told representatives of the local Muslim, Jewish and Sikh communities attending a meeting at the Al Madina Mosque in Barking that police patrols had been stepped up at religious sites following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris last month.
She also praised students in the area who are participating in a scheme to develop role models. But her primary message came as she delivered a new appeal for a joint effort to defeat terrorist ideology.
“Our response to terrorism and extremism must be to become ever more united,” Mrs May told her audience. “We must work together to protect our country, to defeat extremism and uphold the values that underpin the British way of life.
“The values that allow us to live in peace – freedom, respect for others, democracy and the rule of law – values which will allow the future generation of this country to prosper, and live safely.”
The Home Secretary, who was told of local fears about the risk of attacks and hate-crimes against religious groups, said she understood the concerns prompted by the Paris attacks and vowed to tackle those who were seeking to provoke trouble.
She added: “In this country I know people are concerned about anti-Muslim prejudice, anti-Semitism and other forms of racial and religious hatred we have seen in recent years, and we know there are extremist groups who seek to exploit events and create division.
“My primary duty as Home Secretary is to ensure the safety and security of everyone in the UK, people who come from all backgrounds. I am committed to dealing with extremism in all its forms.”
Mrs May’s visit to the Al Madina mosque, which took place last night, follows the publication of figures by the organisation Tell MAMA, which records Islamophobic attacks and abuse, showing that there were 734 anti-Muslim incidents registered between May 2013 and February 2014. Of these, 36 involved violence.
The Community Security Trust, which measures anti-Semitic incidents, recorded 1,168 such cases during 2014, of which 81 were violent assaults.
