UK’s machete murder is case of domestic terror

Britain is wrestling with the challenge of home-grown domestic acts of political violence, the day after the shocking murder of a man in broad daylight on the streets of London by two men who hacked him to death with machetes, chanting political slogans and Islamist rhetoric. The police and security forces will investigate if either of the two criminals had any links to organised extremist activities anywhere else.

What is as disturbing as the murder of a man, who may have been an off-duty member of the British armed forces, is the casual way in which the murderers proceeded to boast of their act to passers by, who were able to calmly record the words of a murderer, with blood dripping off his hands from hacking someone to death a few minutes ago, as they apparently waited for 20 minutes for the police to arrive.

The Muslim Council of Britain was right to move quickly and unreservedly condemn the murder for exactly what it was: An illegal and barbaric act that had nothing to do with religion. The council’s statement said: “This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly. This action will no doubt heighten tensions on the streets of the United Kingdom. We call on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail.”