Reading attacks: Maajid Nawaz crushes extremist ideologies and calls for public to unite
21 June 2020, 14:10
Maajid Nawaz destroys extremist ideology
Maajid Nawaz explained that extremists plan to "destroy and disunite this whole country" and called for Brits to unite against extremism.
Counter terrorism police on Sunday morning announced that the stabbing in Reading on Saturday night is now being declared as a terrorist incident.
Maajid Nawaz took the opportunity to address how extremism is set up to turn society against itself. "What may you be thinking would be the purpose of a Jihadist attack in a park on the day of an anti-racism rally, of course, unrelated to the rally itself but perhaps related in the person's mind" he began.
"Violence never produces the change that those who advocate for it claim it does and that is something that is statistically demonstrable" Maajid added "what it does achieve is it creates hatred and division."
He then went on to list out instances of extremism in recent years, such as the Mosque attacks in New Zealand and Anders Brevik's massacre in Norway, along with more recent instances of Antifa provoking protesters at anti-racism protests. Maajid then read an email he received before his show, reading "the more I listen the more racist I am becoming."
"This is precisely what acts of violence for any political cause seeks to achieve" he said.
Maajid told listeners that the issue of division from extremist acts happens because "we tend to only call out violence or extremism if it comes from 'the other.'" He insisted that the way to fight this is for all races and colours in the community must stand up to extremism.
He went on the attack against those who are supporting such acts, be they Jihadist, Antifa or far-right. "You are seeking to destroy and disunite this whole country" Maajid said.
Maajid then confirmed that although so much division stems from these debates, "what I want to focus on is the commonalities that we all have" and unite people against extremism.
