The beheading of a third hostage by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has sent shockwaves among British Muslims, who expressed fears of expected reprisal attacks against the peaceful community.
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“Somebody somewhere is going to react, it's been proven, it's happened many times: after 9/11, after 7 July [2005 attacks on London] and after [the murder of] Lee Rigby,” Harun Khan, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, told The Guardian on Monday, September 15.
Khan concerns echoed British Muslims fears of backlash after the beheading of the British aid worker David Haines by the so-called ISIL militants this week.
The Muslim leader warned that mosques and veiled women are most vulnerable to reprisal attacks by extremists.
British Muslims fears were coupled with this weekend's attack on a Rotherham mosque after a rally by the far-right English Defence league (EDL).
Similar fears were shared by Tower Hamlets Muslims who believe that the latest ISIL heinous crimes would foster anti-Muslim extremist groups like the EDL.
"There's always a fear," said Ifta Ahmed, who was visiting East London mosque.
“Whenever something like this happens, you never know what is going to happen in response. But we all condemn what's happened. For them to use the name Islam is wrong.”
Amid fears, Tower Hamlet Muslims have reiterated condemnations of ISIL un-Islamic heinous crimes.
"Isis and the beheading is not something we recognize at all," said Amir Younis, 42, using another acronym for the militant group.
"Everyone I've spoken to regards those people as complete lunatics. We don't know who they are, they've come from nowhere, and all of a sudden they're claiming to represent the whole of the Muslim community.
Playing down British Muslims fears of the reprisal attacks, Younis said: "But in terms of Islamophic reprisals, I don't think things are going to get any worse than they already are.
"Islamophobia is something that the Islamic community needs to stop tolerating – we allow people to say the most ridiculous things."
According to the monitoring group Tell Mama, the number of anti-Muslim attacks has increased since the murder of the US Journalist Steven Sotloff, including online threats through social media.
Amid Muslim fears, Mike Haines issued a strongly-worded video statement in which he said "Muslim faith is not to blame for murder" blamed on ISIL militants.
"We are seeing more and more radicalization in every walk of life. It is not a race, religion or political issue, it is a human issue," Mike Haines told British media on Sunday, AFP reported.
"The Muslim faith is not to blame for ISIL, nor is it the fault of people of Middle Eastern descent," the tearful brother added.
The brother also cited verses of the Holy Qur’an in his emotional statement.
"Since good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou evil with something that is better," Haines read out Qur’an.
Stressing that "ISIL are not Muslims but monsters", Prime Minister David Cameron described Haines a "British Hero", promising to punish the extremist group.
Haines, taken hostage in Syria in March 2013, was threatened with death by ISIL militants during a video depicting the beheading of US journalist Steven Sotloff.
Despite pleas from his family and Muslim leaders, ISIL released a video on Sunday, September 14, that claims beheading of Haines.
Haines, 44, had been engaged in humanitarian work since 1999, particularly in Kosovo, South Sudan, Libya and Syria as well as Bosnia and Croatia.
Two days ago, leading British Muslim figures called on British Prime Minster David Cameron to stop using the term “Islamic State” while referring to the ‘terrorist’ ISIL group.
