The brutal murder of Lee Rigby in broad daylight in Woolwich last Wednesday shocked the entire country. What didnât surprise anyone, however, was the grim inevitability how the English Defence League would react to a few mumbled words about Allah and the Quran from a man with blood on his hands. In a typically counter-productive move, members of the EDL took to the streets of Woolwich on Wednesday evening to get drunk and start a riot. Since then, their proliferation of hateful rhetoric has prompted ten mosque attacks and 193 anti-Muslim incidents.
Everyone from David Cameron[/URL] to [URL=âhttp://www.russellbrand.tv/2013/05/woolwich/â]Russell Brand has had something to say about what happened on Wednesday, but the most fascinating part of the fallout was the reaction from York Mosqueâs members this weekend. When half a dozen rioters turned up on their doorstep on Sunday afternoon, members of the mosque didnât shout back. They invited the hate group in for a cup of tea and a custard cream. GQ got in touch with Professor Mohamed El-Gomati, the York Mosque senior who hosted the yearâs most controversial tea party.
GQ: What made you invite the EDL in for tea on Sunday?
Mohamed El-Gomati: The EDL posted details about a demonstration they were going to host at our mosque on Sunday on their Facebook page. My first reaction was to let the police know, which I did, but when I really started thinking about it I remembered a Muslim saying: âIf the Prophet Mohammed was presented with all the problems in the world, he would resolve them with a cup of tea.â I knew we had a sunny forecast for Sunday, and itâs very English to have tea and biscuits in the afternoon, so I thought it would be a kind gesture to invite the EDL in to tell us about their grievances. We were expecting about 20 people, at most, to enter the mosque. In the end, because of Twitter and Facebook, we got between 150 and 200 people. Lots of non-EDL members came too, saying: âWait a second. Weâre white, weâre British and we donât want the EDL to speak on our behalf.â That was very humbling, I must admit. It really showed that common sense brings people together.
Apart from the plans you read on Facebook, had your mosque received threats from the EDL before they arrived?
No. We only heard about the riots through Facebook. They arrived an hour later than expected, though: at 3pm instead of 2pm. When they turned up, we gave them biscuits and offered them tea, coffee or orange juice. They arrived with a St Georgeâs flag, but I didnât dare tell them that St George is actually Palestinian! I think that would have started another row.
How did you approach them?
Some of our people went out and started a dialogue with the supporters. They handed us a petition saying that the Muslims in York shouldnât be entitled to a mosque. We ignored it. When they finished shouting, we asked if they would like to come and have tea in the garden. They looked at each other and said, âYeah, we will.â So they did. In the end, they even played football with us.
Was there any trouble when they came inside the mosque?
None whatsoever. It was very civil; we were cracking jokes. We asked them what their problem is. They told us that they condemn what happened in London. I explained that we too condemn what happened in the strongest way possible. What happened in London is a heinous crime and the people who committed it do not represent the wider Muslim community at all. They responded by saying, âWe will not surrender to the Taliban.â I explained that neither do we. I mean, anybody with any sense will say that the Taliban are nutters! I can be quoted on that. Then they said: âYou people are taking our jobs.â We tried to explain to them that most of Yorkâs Muslim community is in fulltime employment and contributes, through tax, to the national economy.
Were they surprised that you are anti-Taliban?
I think they were pleasantly surprised. I think they realised that we are just people, like them. I think it is important to talk to them, so they can understand that. Right now, people are advising the Home Secretary to ban extremists from presenting their views in public. That would be wrong. The correct response is to speak to these people and see what their ideology is. Then we can beat it. If we silence them, their views go underground. We need them to explain their views so we can explain their misunderstandings.
A lot of people would argue that precisely because the EDL has such extreme beliefs, engaging with them is pointless.
I disagree. If they have a false ideology, we need to dismantle it. Otherwise they will say: âHey, youâre not opposing me, so I must be right.â If they speak, they have the right to be answered.
Do you now understand why the EDL reacted as they did?
Their argument is so shallow. They just shout two things: âNo to the Taliban,â and âThe attacks were disgusting.â We totally agree.
When you first heard about the Woolwich attack, did you expect an Islamophobic reaction from the EDL?
We thought that there would be a backlash because of the way Islam is covered in the media. People are always quick to blame someone rather than thinking about problems. Those two men are criminals. They might be sick too, but that is for medical professionals to decide. As far as I am concerned, they are criminals. The majority of Muslims do not want the Taliban and extremists to speak on our behalf.
Will you meet up with the EDL again?
I donât expect so, no. If they hold a meeting and invite us there so we can talk our issues through, I hope we would have the same generosity that they showed us and accept their invitation.
