J. K. Rowling has called to put an end to "victim blaming" after a driver plowed into a crowd of people leaving a mosque in north London early on Monday.
One man died at the scene in Finsbury Park and 10 people were injured, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. Police said a suspect was arrested immediately after the attack, which is being treated as a terrorist incident.
As news of the attack of the broke, the author was quick to call out some of the "usual newspapers" for their coverage, which referred to the attacker as a "white van driver," rather than 'terrorist,' presumably because it was seen to be an attack on Muslims rather than by Islamic extremists.
In response to the headlines, Rowling said on Twitter: "Victim blaming in the usual newspapers is disgusting. #FinsburyPark mosque won an award for combating extremism."
By which, we can assume she refers to the fact that the Mail have tried to blame the mosque for inviting the attack which was exacted upon it, rather than the attacker.
As well as calling out the media, Rowling also turned her attention to Nigel Farage and Katie Hopkins...
And shared posts by the Anne Frank Center and Brendan Cox, whose wife MP Jo Cox was murdered last year by a right-wing extremist.
"Those who dehumanise & stereotype Muslims have no moral high ground from which to deplore demonisation of secular westerners by Islamists," Rowling tweeted.
In the wake of the attack, London mayor Sadiq Khan led the calls for calm. "While this appears to be an attack on a particular community, like the terrible attacks in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge it is also an assault on all our shared values of tolerance, freedom and respect," he said. "The situation is still unfolding and I urge all Londoners to remain calm and vigilant."
