A coalition of Muslim organisations has submitted a complaint against Merseyside Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, after she stated that Southport murder suspect Axel Rudakubana had been in possession of an Al Qaeda training manual.
The organisations – Legal Action for Peace, Muslim Public Affairs Committee, CAGE, Islamic Human Rights Commission, Parents United and the Federation of Redbridge Muslim Organisations – say Kennedy’s remarks were misleading and has fuelled hatred against Muslims.
During a press conference on October 30, the Chief Constable stated that Rudakubana, who is accused of killing three young girls, was charged with being in possession of information “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.”
She stated that he had a book titled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual.”
But Chief Constable Kennedy failed to disclose that this book was written by an American psychiatrist, Jerrold Post, who worked as an analyst for the CIA.
She also failed to mention that it was a legal publication available widely online including at American Universities and also sold by Waterstones, Blackwells and eBay at the time of her press conference.
The Muslim coalition believes that her omission has caused serious harm to the Muslim community especially so soon after the extremist far-right riots across the country this summer.
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Indeed, following the press conference speculation once again spread online that Rudakubana was a “Muslim terrorist” despite police saying previously that he was not a Muslim.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioners responded to the coalition on November 12 stating that they will consider the complaint.
Statement on behalf of the Coalition:
“We are deeply troubled by the Chief Constable’s omission by failing to disclose facts about Jerrold Post’s book as being widely available at the time of her press conference. Her reference to the widely available book, without proper context, has fuelled hatred against Muslims and increases the risk of harm to members of the Muslim Community.
“We note that certain far-right personalities and tabloids have been touting this so called ‘AQ Manual’ by using the Chief Constable’s omission to stoke up racial tensions by alleging that this is an example of police protection afforded to the Muslim community. We strongly urge people to fact check information including mainstream media as we have seen how damaging media propaganda can be as in the case of the recent violent attacks by Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“We urge our police forces to exercise greater caution and responsibility in their public statements to avoid harming the Muslim community, exacerbating tensions and fostering discrimination.”
The coalition has called for a further public statement from the Chief Constable stating the full facts in order to rectify the damaging omission that was made during her press conference.
They are also seeking assurances that measures will be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Riots fuelled by false claims
The Southport killings took place on July 29 at The Hart Space, a community studio, during what was described as a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop for children.
Three young girls were killed in the attack and eight children and two adults were also injured, with five of the children left in critical condition. The two adults were critically injured while attempting to protect the children.
The suspect, Axel Rudakubana, was 17 at the time of the attack. He was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Rwandan parents and was a British citizen.
Following the incident, misinformation spread rapidly online, falsely claiming the suspect was a Muslim migrant or asylum seeker. This led to violent protests in Southport which spread to other parts of the UK.
Protesters, fueled by misinformation, attacked a local mosque, clashed with police, and looted stores. Over 50 police officers were injured in these clashes.
The event highlighted the dangers of misinformation on social media platforms, which led to significant unrest.
