Manchester Knife Attack: Allah implicated in ‘terror’ stabbing
Terror in Manchester as three people are stabbed. Well, so they say. So little is said about the murder of 23 people at an Ariana Grande concert in the city back in 2017 that you suspect the news media will downplay notions of militant Islamism in this latest attack.
So what happened?
Police are investigating the stabbing of three people at Manchester Victoria station last night. They, says the Times, are treating the attack as terror-related. There’s no mention of what motives the alleged terrorist held or was attempting to promote. Maybe he’s a militant vegetarian?
The Guardian says it might be terror related but doesn’t speculate on cause. “Manchester police scour Victoria station after triple stabbing,” says the paper. “Counter-terror police involved in investigation of New Year’s Eve attack on three people.”
Or as the Sun puts it: “TERROR RAMPAGE Terror cops raid suspect’s home after knifeman screaming ‘long live the Caliphate’ stabs cop and couple in New Year’s Eve rampage.”
A 25-year-old man from Cheetham Hill, north Manchester, has been arrested. The BBC tells us:
Resident Nousha Babaakachel, 40, said a Somali family live at the address, a mother and father of five, in their 40s, who came to live in the street around 12 years ago from the Netherlands.
She said two of the four sons are at university, one works at Manchester Airport and the youngest is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter.
Both parents attend the local Khiza Mosque.
The BBC mentions a mosque but does not mention Islam. One without the other is bit like saying the alleged knifer subscribes to Netflix and shops at Asda. It’s a big ‘so what?’ But it’s enough for the Sun to copy and paste the BBC’s lines and pass them off as their own:
The BBC and the Sun agree – word for word. The Sun’s URL makes it clear what the alleged knifer said is important but no-one says he cried “Allahu Akbar”, just “Allah”.
A witness claims the suspect shouted “Allah” during his attack with a long kitchen knife. The Sun editorialises this into an “Allahu Akbar” in the URL to its story (see above). Why not just stick to the facts?
The witness is Sam Clack, a BBC producer. “It was pretty scary. It was just me on the platform and as I was standing there I heard the most blood-curdling scream I had ever heard from a woman near by. It looked like there was a fight going on. I heard the guy shout ‘Allah’ distinctly. I didn’t hear the rest of the sentence…The guy started backing up towards me. And he got to within seven or eight feet of me and was looking around very skittish. I saw that the man had a kitchen knife with a long 12in blade.”
Mr Clack said that he heard the attacker say: “As long as you keep bombing other countries this sort of shit is going to keep happening.” Which countries? The BBC says he was shouting about god being great in Arabic as he was hauled away.
But don’t worry. Manchester’s Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts tells us: “Tonight’s events will have undoubtedly worried people but I need to stress that… there is currently no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time.” At this time. Mr Clack is less certain, adding: “It was scary. I have never been so scared in my life. Someone with a knife six to eight feet away, he had just stabbed someone. It was the proximity. It just highlights the fact that it can happen anywhere.”
Before the horror, a look at the coppers who help us. Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan, of British Transport Police, tells media: “I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife. They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers. Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we’re all relieved that this is not more serious. It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery.”
Sure thing. But what of the alleged attacker and his motives? More to come…
Posted: 1st, January 2019 | In: Key Posts, News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
