Inside Story

How is Britain dealing with rising attacks?

A man drove a van at high speed hitting Muslim worshipers outside a mosque in London on Monday.

It’s become an all too common trend – attackers driving vans into crowded streets.

This time, the victims were all Muslim, as they left the Finsbury Park Mosque in London after a midnight prayer.

It happened during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. At least one person has died. Ten others are injured.

Bystanders tackled and held the 48-year-old attacker as he tried to leave the van. Police now have him in custody.

Prime Minister Theresa May says police declared this it “terrorist attack” within eight minutes and that counterterrorism police are now investigating.

But what’s behind the rise in these types of attacks? And how will it affect Britain’s diverse society?

Presenter: Sohail Rahman

Guests:

Azad Ali – Head of Community Development for Muslim Engagement and Development organisation

Aurelien Mondon – Lecturer at the University of Bath

Afzal Ashraf – Security and counterterrorism specialist