'The people who did this are not Muslim. I question if they are even human – but they are dangerous criminals'

Shokat Lal, general secretary of the Pakistani Community Centre in Derby and a Muslim, speaks out over the killing of a soldier in Woolwich.

AS the events at Woolwich unfolded, my most immediate reaction was one of shock, horror and upset at what I can only describe as a barbaric attack.

As selfish as it may sound, I almost immediately started hoping that "please do not let this in anyway be connected to Islam or my community" but already through various social media sites the connections had been made and the views of the alleged perpetrator had been broadcast around the worldwide web.

I have talked with friends, family and community members, in some ways trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

The reaction from everyone was universal: one of horror and revulsion and almost immediately people become worried about the reaction. It was virtually impossible to fathom that this had actually happened on the streets of our capital city.

For me, it is a game-changer, an incident that is akin to creating a tsunami of hatred on UK shores.

I am not going to defend Islam as a religion or explain its purpose, as I do not believe my religion needs to be defended or explained.

The people who did this are not Muslim. In fact, I question whether they are even human, but clearly they are dangerous criminals driven by a sense of purpose and narrative that has no place in any religion or race.

I, along with millions of other British people, have at times questioned our country's foreign policy and some of the wars we are involved in. However, none of us ever react in the way we have seen.

We live in a democratic society. There are many channels which as citizens we can utilise to peacefully protest and make our views known and ultimately, as extreme as it may sound, if I feel so strongly about what the British government is doing then I can always revoke my status as a British citizen.

These people cannot have it both ways, cherry-picking which bits of British society and benefits suit them and mindlessly attacking those parts that do not sit well with their own personal ideology.

Evil like this does not distinguish between different races or religions. Not so long ago, a similar plot was foiled in Birmingham where there was a plan to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier.

The act of killing someone in justification for them being involved in the killing of others is in itself an oxymoron. It is an act driven by ignorance and, quite frankly, sheer madness. This was an act of unspeakable evil, frighteningly engineered to gain maximum and direct publicity in this era of social media. It goes without saying we must not play into their hands!

By Wednesday evening, as expected, the EDL had arrived in Woolwich and the BNP has announced a planned demonstration against Islam. Right-wing extremist groups will use this to fuel hatred and it will only take a spark to light the touchpaper and turn community tensions into hatred and violence.

It is important that in our anger and grief we do not get sucked into the rhetoric that any group or organisation with extremist beliefs tries to purport. As events unfold there are many questions yet to be answered and a collective challenge for us all. However, we must never hold a whole religion or community responsible for the actions of individuals.

The recent cases and allegations of sexual abuse in the showbusiness world have not resulted in us tarnishing everyone in showbusiness or demanding that they all take responsibility for the actions of a minority. Similarly, the actions of individuals when they are from a minority community or a different race or religion must never cloud our judgment of the rest of that community.

Derby is a proud and diverse city. It has a sense of community and belonging that we should quite rightly wear as a badge of honour. Our strength is our unity, that in times of adversity we come together and support each other.

The Muslim community of Derby is just as outraged as any other community, probably more so as there are those attempting to hijack our religion.

It is important that we stand together and do not let extremism or hatred in any shape or form gain momentum, as that would allow the perpetrators of the attack on Wednesday to win.

RELIGIOUS leaders in Derby have created a united front in their condemnation of the Woolwich murder of serving soldier drummer Lee Rigby.

At a meeting at the Derby Telegraph offices, Imam Hafiz Fazal Ahmed Qadri (above left), of the city's Jamia mosque, in Rosehill Street, the new Mayor of Derby, Fareed Hussain (centre), and the Dean of Derby, Dr John Davies, discussed the tragedy.

Mr Qadri said: "Islam teaching says that killing one person is killing the whole of humanity."

Mr Hussain said he was "disgusted by the horror" of the attack, adding: "The city is united in our condemnation of this brutal murder."

And Dr Davies, who is based at Derby Cathedral, said: "This is a localised incident and does not reflect the work we are doing here in the city at bringing religions and cultures together in unity."