Two Muslim victims of a knife rampage in Edinburgh had only arrived in the city weeks ago, according to a community leader. The attack, which police are treating as a suspected terror incident, left five men injured and led to a 36-year-old white Scottish man being charged.
Attack Details
CCTV footage appears to show a topless man driving erratically before abandoning his car and lunging at a random black man and a delivery rider while smoking and wielding two large knives. He is alleged to have thrown an axe through the window of a taxi, which the driver managed to avoid by moving his car forward an inch as it was thrown.
Two of the younger injured men had been at Broomhouse mosque just before they were attacked. Daniel Gilius, Scotland Regional Manager of Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND), told Metro: 'Two of the younger victims are known to have only arrived in the city a couple of weeks ago, they had recently attended the mosque prior to the attack.'
Taxi Driver's Narrow Escape
Gilius added: 'During my time in the community yesterday, I heard about the taxi driver who was attacked resulting in an axe being launched through the rear passenger window. The man who was driving the car was just seconds from severe injury and it was only because he was able to move his car a few inches forward at the time of the attack that the axe did not cause serious harm.'
The suspect was allegedly heard shouting: 'I'm protecting the country from these f****g Muslim b******s raping our young daughters, raping our kids. Enough is enough,' as he was pinned to the floor.
Community Reaction
Mr Gilius hit out at social media trolls after people hailed the suspect as a 'hero'. He said: 'These hateful and vile comments on our social media posts are, sadly, no surprise. Despite these brutal attacks targeting innocent people, the far-right have no sympathy or compassion. Comments which incite hate and even celebrate violence are becoming part of daily life. Social media platforms continue to prioritise profits over safety and many users have become numb to even the most hateful posts.'
He added: 'Islamophobia is nothing new, but one of the most alarming trends in recent months and years is voices whom we would usually expect to call our far-right extremism are fading into silence – or are toning down their words.'
Far-Right Figures
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, distanced himself from the attack despite stoking Islamophobic rhetoric online. Mr Gilius commented: 'Speaking broadly rather than about any particular individual, far right influencers are often quick to distance themselves when attacks take place, but we know that Islamophobic extremism has a root cause and that radicalisation takes place online with disastrous consequences.'
Police Investigation
Counter terror police have confirmed they are investigating the incidents which left five men – two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27 and 39 – with a range of injuries. Three of the men were taken to hospital and none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. A 36-year-old white Scottish man has been charged.
