Maajid Nawaz: Muslims in Southend-on-Sea know and love Sir David Amess

16 October 2021, 16:21

Maajid Nawaz comments on Muslim relationship with Sir David Amess

By Tim Dodd

Maajid Nawaz reacted to the possible link between Islamist extremism and the killing of Sir David Amess by telling listeners the MP "wouldn't want this tragic death to be used to pit communities against each other".

It comes as the Met is treating the fatal stabbing of Sir David Amess during his constituency meeting yesterday as a terror incident, and said its early inquiries suggested a possible link to Islamist extremism.

Maajid said: "Another reaction that Sir David would not be happy with, is to allow this incident to pit us against each other.

"I'll tell you - Sir David Amess MP - that Brexit supporting, right-wing Conservative member of parliament had the most amazing and beautiful relationship with the local muslim community."

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"He came to my family weddings. He stood up for me at the time as an Islamist, when he had nothing to gain," Maajid said.

"Muslims in Southend-on-sea know and love Sir David Amess, and Sir David Amess knew and loved muslims in Southend-on-sea."

Read more: Stop face-to-face meetings with voters until security review complete, MP requests

Maajid continued: "And so he would never want this tragic death to be used to pit communities against each other, and make us start looking left and right rather than looking up vs. down."

Read more: Tributes left to Tory MP Sir David Amess as police declare terror incident

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