Via Surrey Comet:
The borough’s top political and police leaders addressed 1,000 worshippers at Kingston Mosque in a show of solidarity after last week’s attack.
Masked men left an elderly congregation in fear of their lives when they tried to smash windows and threw beer and bacon at the building on Sunday, November 21.
The attack followed a march against Muslim extremism that took place in the town centre earlier in the day. However, police have not linked the two incidents.
Faith and civic leaders rallied around the mosque in the wake of the attack, which took place during Kingston’s interfaith week.
Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey and borough commander Martin Greenslade visited the mosque on Friday, November 26.
They spoke before the most important prayers of the week, and it was the first time the police had talked at the mosque from the pulpit.
Rizwan Khaliq, community relations officer at Kingston Muslim Association, said: “They were given a very privileged point to address the congregation just before the Friday prayers, and it went down very well.
“It was a great honour to go before the mosque, usually a privilege reserved for the imam.
“It was reassurance and thanking [the congregation] for their measured and mature response and the fact they did not respond like for like.
“I genuinely hope positive things can come out of this.(source)
