The police are investigating criminal damage after 85 graves, mostly children’s, were vandalised in the Muslim section of Carpenders Park cemetery in Watford last week, and are treating this as Islamophobic crime.
The cemetery next-door to Harrow is owned by Brent Council but is widely used by the neighbouring boroughs.
Such targeted attacks do not take place in vacuum.
The recent far-right extremism in Britain stirs up nationalistic feelings for political gains, including by tarnishing the image of some in Britain.
Media, social media and the far-right politicians very effectively recycle such worked out negative image.
In reassuring the community, leader of the Brent council, Cllr Muhammed Butt said: “The desecration of graves is a distressing and unacceptable act. I confirm that the incident was reported to us on Saturday, and that a full investigation by Hertfordshire Police is currently underway. Council officers have been in regular contact with the police since the report was made, and we are providing full cooperation to support their enquiries”.
Despite that a vast majority of the Harrow Muslim community uses the cemetery and many vandalised graves have Harrow dead, there appears to be no public statement by the Harrow council leadership though privately they are liaising with Hertfordshire police and have contacted a mosque where they enjoyed a Ramadan iftar party last.
[40 minutes after this article and 4 days after the wicked crime that he calls ‘events’, the leader of the Harrow council issued a Facebook statement saying “I am deeply shocked and appalled by the events“!! Facebook is not widely read by the Harrow residents, anyway – to-date his statement is not on the Harrow council website – now it is, again after prompting!]
While the Harrow administration’s lack of an immediate response and low profile regarding such a wicked crime is disturbing, it is understandable in the political sense as the council election is next year and the administration apparently can’t take the risk to upset some in its group or at the ballot box next year.
Unsettled Conservative Party fears Labour less but more the “renegade nationalist conservatives”.
The cemetery next-door to Harrow is owned by Brent Council but is widely used by the neighbouring boroughs.
Such targeted attacks do not take place in vacuum.
The recent far-right extremism in Britain stirs up nationalistic feelings for political gains, including by tarnishing the image of some in Britain.
Media, social media and the far-right politicians very effectively recycle such worked out negative image.
In reassuring the community, leader of the Brent council, Cllr Muhammed Butt said: “The desecration of graves is a distressing and unacceptable act. I confirm that the incident was reported to us on Saturday, and that a full investigation by Hertfordshire Police is currently underway. Council officers have been in regular contact with the police since the report was made, and we are providing full cooperation to support their enquiries”.
Despite that a vast majority of the Harrow Muslim community uses the cemetery and many vandalised graves have Harrow dead, there appears to be no public statement by the Harrow council leadership though privately they are liaising with Hertfordshire police and have contacted a mosque where they enjoyed a Ramadan iftar party last.
[40 minutes after this article and 4 days after the wicked crime that he calls ‘events’, the leader of the Harrow council issued a Facebook statement saying “I am deeply shocked and appalled by the events“!! Facebook is not widely read by the Harrow residents, anyway – to-date his statement is not on the Harrow council website – now it is, again after prompting!]
While the Harrow administration’s lack of an immediate response and low profile regarding such a wicked crime is disturbing, it is understandable in the political sense as the council election is next year and the administration apparently can’t take the risk to upset some in its group or at the ballot box next year.
Unsettled Conservative Party fears Labour less but more the “renegade nationalist conservatives”.
Harrow Monitoring Group 