Two Muslim men who had only been in Edinburgh for a couple of weeks were among the victims of a suspected terror attack in the city, according to a community group leader. The attack, which involved knives and an axe, left five men injured and led to a 36-year-old white Scottish man being charged.
Attack Details and Suspect's Actions
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 narrowly avoided by moving his car forward an inch as it was thrown. The suspect was reportedly 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.
Victims and Community Response
Daniel Gilius, Scotland Regional Manager of Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND), told Metro: 'Several of the injured are well known to the community, one of whom has family roots across the city. 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.' He added: '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.'
Condemnation of Online Hate
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. 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 and Investigation
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, distanced himself from the attack despite stoking Islamophobic rhetoric online. Mr Gilius added: '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.' 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.
