I was deeply saddened by the news of the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester. And condemn this horrific act of violence that has taken the lives of two innocent people and injured many more. My heart went out to the Jewish community and all those affected by this appalling attack on such an important and holy day in the Jewish calendar.
We must be unequivocal and be united in our condemnation of all hatred and violence in our society that only deepen division among communities.
The synagogue’s Rabbi it is important to note also supported the United Jewish Israel Appeal, which is Britain’s major fundraising org for the Zionist regime. The synagogue also supports the IDF. . Moreover, it’s associated with Chabad Lubavitch, a fiercely Zionist organisation that materially supports Israel across its 5,000 branches dotted around the world.
Heaton Park synagogue is pro-Israel and Zionist with no words, no empathy themselves for the children, babies savagely bombed and shot in Gaza. That isn’t controversial to point out. You can oppose the violence in Manchester without distorting reality.
On Saturday there was also a terror attack on the Peacehaven mosque, which is located in a suburb just outside Brighton. The arson attack followed a months-long campaign of intimidation and has left the local Muslim community feeling terrified. Am equally saddened by this incident.
But it has not garnered wall-to-wall coverage. No urgent statements from Starmer or Lammy announcing police protection for mosques. No collective blame placed on white people. No calls for accountability. The racist double standard couldn’t be clearer, the hypocrisy is blinding.
This was Keir Starmer just 90 minutes after the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue. As of yet, not a mention on the terror attack on the Peacehaven mosque. I'm sure he's just been busy.
"I’m appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall. The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific. My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders."
If leaders can swiftly condemn a synagogue attack, they must do the same to condemn attacls on mosgues, a terrorist attack on a mosque that was downgraded to a hate crime as the perpetrator/s were white and the victims were Muslim.
Remember the attack on the mosque in Peacehaven did not happen in a vacuum. For months, right-wing outlets like GB News and parts of the British press have been smearing the entire pro-Palestine movement as extremist, terror-linked or un-British.
They have helped create an atmosphere where showing solidarity with Palestine is seen as dangerous and where Muslims are portrayed as a threat from within. This constant fear-mongering fuels hate, emboldens extremists, and makes attacks like the one in Peacehaven not only possible but predictable. When a white man sets fire to a mosque, it is treated as an isolated incident. When Muslims march for peace or justice, it is framed as a national security concern. The same media that gives airtime to far-right talking points suddenly goes quiet when hate turns into violence.
This is not just about one mosque or one attack. It is about the toxic climate built day after day by networks that dehumanise Muslims, demonise solidarity and whitewash state violence abroad. The Peacehaven attack is not separate from the headlines, talk show panels, or political dog whistles. It is their logical outcome.
We must confronts the poison of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism equally in our media and politics, otherwise these attacks will keep happening.
I'm also appalled that Israeli forces boarded vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla last week in international waters and illegally detained those on board, including a number of British citizens. Has Keir Starmer made an announcement about this too and condemned Israel?
Today on the anniversary of October 7th, my sympathy remains with the Palestinian people. I cried and raged this morning on hearing on Today that it is “unBritish” for students to demonstrate for Palestine on this anniversary of October 7 when ….. blah, blah.
What we need now is a brave politician like the beloved Tony Benn to walk into a BBC news studio, thump the desk and say: most of the dead were killed by Israel under the Hannibal Directive. The lies that they were all killed by Hamas have been debunked by the Israeli media time and time again. It is so important to point this out.
Today it is October 7 in Gaza. Marking two years of a genocide. Two years of bombs, murder, pain, starvation, grief, and loss. But it's also two years of steadfastness, endurance, faith, and resistance. Two years of resuscitating the very humanity of our world. Free Gaza. Free Palestine.
