The family of the terrorist attacker who laid siege to a Manchester synagogue that left two people dead have condemned the “heinous act”.
Jihad Al-Shamie, who came to Britain from Syria as a child, carried out the car-ramming and stabbing raid on Yom Kippur before being shot dead by police on Thursday.
On Friday, his father, Faraj Al-Shamie, a trauma surgeon, said family in Britain and abroad “strongly condemns this heinous act which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians”.
“We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened.”
It emerged on Friday that one of the Jewish worshippers was killed by police gunshot while he was sheltering behind the synagogue door with another person who was also hit and remains in hospital.
Officers opened fire and killed Al-Shamie minutes after he began his attack.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said: “It is currently believed that the suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm and the only shots fired were from GMP’s authorised firearms officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was on Friday at the scene in Manchester and will be seeking to calm tension across Britain to prevent further incidents.
In his statement, Mr Al-Shamie who is reported to have worked for the International Red Cross operating in war zones, including in South Sudan. said the attack on the synagogue had come as “a profound shock to us”.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort. May God have mercy on the innocent victims and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
He said the tragic events should not be used “in any context that does not reflect the truth”.
In the latest developments:
- Heaton Park Synagogue’s Rabbi Daniel Walker said the attack was a “desecration”, adding in a joint statement with the synagogue executive and trustees that it was “an episode that has changed us all forever”.
- Justice Secretary David Lammy was heckled by some of the crowd as he addressed a vigil close to the scene of the attack.
- He faced calls of “shame on you”, “you enabled it, every Saturday” in reference to protest marches and “you have blood on your hands”.
- During his visit to the scene Mr Starmer said the country “must defeat anti-Semitism” and that his government “will rise to that challenge and do all that we can to absolutely ensure that our Jewish community is safe and secure”.
- In her first statement as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally said the Church of England had a “responsibility” to “stand with the Jewish community against anti-Semitism”. “Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart,” she added.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared the decision by pro-Palestinians demonstrators of the outlawed group Palestine Action to go ahead with a mass protest on Saturday as “unacceptable” given the pressures on police to protects sites following the attack.
- It also emerged that former Conservative MP John Howell might have received threatening emails in 2012 after he defended Israel’s right to self-defence when it came under rocket fire. Police are now investigating his emails after one of them was from a “Jihad Alshamie” who told him: “It is people like you who deserve to die.”
Unknown attacker
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was unknown to police and security services, initial searches of official databases found. Further checks are being carried out to see if any of his details appear in records of other investigations. He entered the UK as a young child and was granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was around the age of 16.
Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack in connection with the killings carried out by Al-Shamie outside the synagogue on the holiest day of Judaism's calendar, police said.
It is “too early” to say if there was a terrorist cell behind the attack, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Friday.
“I think it’s important we don’t get ahead of what we know as the basic facts of what has happened,” she said.
Police named Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, as the two men who died in the attack. Three others remain in hospital with serious injuries.
Stabbing spree
Worshippers released from the synagogue by police long after the incident revealed how the attacker had scouted out the area 10 minutes beforehand, getting into an argument with security after being refused entry.
He then returned in a car and drove it into a guard at the gate before going on a stabbing spree and trying to enter the building. He was kept out by those inside, who held the doors shut.
The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council said the attack was “something we feared was coming” because of “rising anti-Semitism in the UK”.
Officials hailed those inside the synagogue who had barricaded the doors. Among them was Michael Goldstone, 79, who is the father-in-law of former UK defence secretary Grant Shapps. Mr Goldstone held the doors of the synagogue shut as the attacker tried to gain entry, said Mr Shapps.
“He was face-to-face with the terrorist, holding the inside of the door, as he tried to break down the front doors,” Mr Shapps said. “The chap had turned up 10 minutes earlier before the car came back and smashed into the security. They locked the doors when the car crashed into the gate, which prevented more killings.”
A dramatic picture of Al-Shamie shows the moment he stood outside the synagogue with unidentified objects strapped to his waist, initially thought to be an explosive device. Police later confirmed the device was not viable.
Mr Starmer said “additional police assets” would be posted at synagogues across the country.
King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was among the world leaders to condemn the attack. “Houses of worship are sacred places where people can go to find peace,” he said. “Targeting a synagogue on Yom Kippur is particularly heinous.”
The attack came days before the second anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel, which inflamed passions in Britain. The ensuing war has caused friction between the British and Israeli governments.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the UK government of failing to curb “rampant anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain” after the deadly attack.
Police chief Sir Stephen said: “There were a large number of worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of this attack, but thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and the worshippers inside, as well as the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access.”
Hours after the attack, pro-Palestine protesters clashed with police outside Downing Street in London. Thousands of people waving Palestine flags were demonstrating against the arrest of Greta Thunberg on board an aid flotilla destined for Gaza. Demonstrations took place in several cities around the country.
