Manchester Attack — The Aftermath We Already Know

On Thursday in Manchester, a man drove his car into pedestrians outside a synagogue before launching a knife attack that left two people dead and others seriously injured. The incident took place on Yom Kippur, one of the most sacred days in the Jewish calendar, and police later confirmed it as a terrorist attack. The attacker was shot dead at the scene.

The horror of what happened is undeniable. Families are grieving, a community has been left devastated, and yet again a British city has been scarred by violence.

Already, many Muslims say, “I wish the perpetrator wasn’t a Muslim.” Not because they deny the horror of the attack, but because they know what follows: before the funerals are over, Muslim communities will be scrutinised, vilified, and expected to apologise for actions they did not commit. No Muslim would see such behaviour as in accordance with their Deen, yet even as the victims are mourned, Muslims in Britain recognise this familiar pattern all too well.

We have seen this playbook before. In the aftermath of such incidents, the Muslim community is placed under a microscope. New legislation is often pushed forward — not against violent extremism itself, but against those who stand for Palestine and speak against Britain’s complicity abroad. Police powers quietly expand, with communities like ours under close watch. The far-right seizes the moment to physically attack mosques, Muslim-owned shops, and ordinary people with no connection to the crime. And media outlets, chasing headlines, frequently frame Muslims collectively as a problem to be managed.

This expectation — that Muslims must issue collective apologies — is unique. When far-right extremists in the UK have murdered or attacked, such as Thomas Mair killing MP Jo Cox in 2016, or the 2017 Finsbury Park mosque attack, the wider non-Muslim community is not called to account. Muslims do not expect the whole of British society to apologise for the actions of a single extremist, and the same principle applies when individual officials behave badly. A Panorama investigation recently revealed a serving police officer using anti-Islamic slurs — a shocking display of prejudice, but one person’s misconduct does not make the entire police force, or society, collectively guilty. Yet, time and again, Muslims are treated as if they must apologise for the crimes of an individual.

Muslims and non-Muslims alike should see beyond the political performative speeches that inevitably follow. It will come as no surprise if figures like Netanyahu attempt to politicise the attack, blaming Labour leader Keir Starmer and framing it as the consequence of recognising a Palestinian state. Starmer may respond with stricter measures to curb criticism of the genocide in Gaza, but we must rise above the theatre. The focus must remain on what truly matters: defending innocent human life and holding those responsible for violence and oppression accountable, wherever it occurs.

Let it be said clearly: Muslims regret the loss of life. But regret is not the same as apology, and we will not accept a standard in which our community is perpetually placed on trial for the actions of one man. The responsibility lies with the perpetrator alone.

Equally, this attack must not be used to silence political voices. Before politicians and media muddy the waters, it is vital that the aftermath of such attacks does not let those responsible for crimes against humanity go unchallenged. The call for an end to the crimes in Gaza must continue, and it must not be muted under the weight of collective blame. At the same time, this tragedy should not be used to conflate Jews with Zionism — the two are not one, and no community should be held responsible for the political actions of others. To demand silence from Muslims now, under the pretext of “responsibility,” would be to allow violence to dictate which causes may or may not be spoken about. Justice abroad and safety at home are not competing causes — both are essential.

Lives have been lost, families broken, and communities wounded. Over 66,000 + 2 lives have been lost since the conflict began. The blame does not lie with the common folk, Muslim or not; it lies at the doorstep of those who commit and are complicit in such crimes.