Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson has been criticised by many on social media following Monday morning’s attack on a London mosque.
47-year-old Darren Osborne was held on suspicion of attempted murder and terrorism offences after a van hit Muslims in Finsbury Park shortly after midnight.
As news of the attack began to break, many pointed to a recent video of Robinson – seen below – suggesting that his words might have influenced the attacker.
Tommy Robinson stated militias would be set up to "clean out this Islamic problem" just 2 weeks ago #FinsburyPark pic.twitter.com/CdlPqV2Mis
— Crimes of Britain (@crimesofbrits) June 19, 2017
It's clowns like Tommy Robinson who radicalise these people into committing acts of terrorism #FinsburyPark pic.twitter.com/cbHKwv0DMi
— Reyez (@reyezkh7) June 19, 2017
On Tuesday morning, Robinson was invited on to Good Morning Britain where he was interviewed by hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.
Having appeared to dismiss that Islam is a faith – instead describing it as a “bad idea” – Robinson later holds up a copy of the Koran.
“Show some damn respect for people’s religious beliefs,” Morgan tells him,urging him to put it down.
With Robinson refusing to do so, Morgan added: “You’re sounding like a complete lunatic. You’re sounding like a bigoted lunatic.
“What you’re doing now is deliberately inflammatory, it’s deliberately poisonous, and you are having the complete opposite effect to the one you say you have.
“You are stirring up hatred, you’re abusing people’s religion, you’re abusing their faith and you’re being a complete disgrace.”
The full interview can be seen in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bS_LqBjebk
