From: Islamic Human Rights Commission

5 June 2018

PRESS RELEASE – UK: IHRC urges London mayor to support pro-Palestine marchers’ right of expression

IHRC has written to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, applauding him for his stand on supporting the right of assembly and free speech and extending it to this weekend’s Al-Quds Day demonstration due to take part in the capital.

It follows a reply from Khan to concerns raised by IHRC that failure to curb the far right and Zionist extremists could lead to another terrorist attack of the kind carried out by Darren Osborne against Muslims last summer.

Pro-Israel advocates have been applying pressure on Khan to ban the annual Al-Quds day march in London which highlights the continuing oppression of the Palestinians.

The smear campaign was responsible for inciting Darren Osborne to drive a van into worshippers leaving late night Ramadan prayers in the Finsbury Park area of north London on 19 June 2017. Osborne’s intended target had been the Al-Quds day protest that took place the day before, but he was unable to reach it.

In his reply to IHRC, Mr. Khan said that fundamental rights come with responsibilities and the law should be used to deter and punish those who seek to go beyond protest and incite hatred and violence against others.

In view of this IHRC wrote back to the Mayor asking him to confirm if his office has contacted the Metropolitan Police Service regarding the racist abuse from Zionist and far-right extremists aimed at attendees last year and in preceding years.

“We trust you have raised with the police the issue of Darren Osborne targeting Al-Quds Day 2017,” states the IHRC letter. “You have given interviews about how the Darren Osborne terror attack made you feel, but it would be good for Muslim Londoners to know that you have acknowledged all of those targeted by Osborne, not just yourself, and that you believe that they are equally entitled to safety and security and that you have championed their right to not be targeted by terrorists and racists.”

The Al-Quds Day rally will take place on 10 June 2018 from 3pm. The protest will commence at 3am from outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy on Curzon Street

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For media enquiries please email media@ihrc.org or call 020 8904 4222 or 07958 522196

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IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

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