Manchester resident Shabnam Kulsoom says MI5, the media and Tommy Robinson owe Manchester Muslims an apology, following the exoneration of Didsbury Mosque by the Manchester Arena Inquiry over the radicalisation of Salman Abedi. She writes for 5 Pillars:
“On May 22, 2017, my brother – one of the heads of the da’wah department at Didsbury Mosque – was coming home from the mosque after his usual evening of voluntary work there.
But this particular evening he asked to be picked up by another family member due to an emergency situation of chaos and confusion that had occurred at Victoria Tram Station.
Salman Abedi had attacked the MEN arena only minutes away from the station, and overspill was happening at the tram station because of terrified crowds running for their lives.
When I learned that the incident was confirmed as a terrorist attack, my immediate gut instinct told me: “They’re somehow going to blame Dids”- our nickname for Didsbury Mosque.
I relayed my feelings to my brother and said that they were based on the fact that it was a very popular mosque for Muslims, new-Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Its work in the community (thanks to volunteers in the da’wah department) was an example for other mosques to follow. Its outreach work varied from regular open days for non-Muslims to be educated on Islam to community outreach programmes…”
Read the full article: MI5, media and far-right owe Didsbury Mosque and Manchester Muslims an apology – 5Pillars
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