Berkshire stabbings: Not terrorism, just a reaction to "social isolation"

Did anyone actually hear the murderer yelling "Allahu akbar!"? OK, wait... Basic facts first. On Saturday evening, yet another BLM "protest" was held in Forbury Gardens, a public park in Reading, Berkshire, about 40 miles west of London. Nice place, or used to be when Walt was last there, a mere three decades ago. The oh-so-PC head of the local council authority told BBC-TV that the event "was a very well conducted peaceful demonstration", not connected in any way with what happened later.

What was he talking about? Some three hours after the "peaceful demonstration" wound up, a man ran into the park wielding a knife [scimitar? Ed.] with which he attacked "a number" of people, killing three and seriously wounding three more before being "detained" by the bobbies.

Inspector Knacker said there was nothing to suggest anyone else was involved and they were not hunting further suspects. Police and the government said the incident did not appear to be terrorism and they were keeping an open mind as to the motive, which they called "far from certain". But then, further details emerged....

The 25-year-old man detained at the scene was identified by "a Western security source, speaking on condition of anonymity" (so as not to be accused of stoking Islamophobia, no doubt) told Reuters that the man, who remains in police custody, is... wait for it... a Libyan asylum-seeker called Khairi Saadallah. His religion wasn't disclosed, but I think we can safely assume he's a follower of the Prophet.

As to his motivation, Nik Adams, the officer in charge of the police's anti-radicalisation programme said (following a similar attack in April) that social isolation during the coronavirus lockdown could make people more susceptible to being exploited by extremists. "Isolation may exacerbate grievances that make people more vulnerable to radicalisation -- such as financial insecurity or social alienation."

So Mr Saadallah, who at the moment is just "suspected" of murder, should not be pilloried for what he did. He's just another victom of corona virus, which, as is well known, is all the fault of Donald Trump. Case closed.

UPDATE ADDED @ 1245: AP reported this morning that British police have changed their minds and say... now... that the attack is being considered a terrorist attack... after all. They did not use words like "Muslim" or "Islamic" or "jihad". Oh my no!

The Press Association, Britain's national news agency, reported that a Reading man of the same name and age as the attacker now in custody was sentenced to two months in prison last year for assaulting an emergency worker. The same man was also charged last year with assaulting a judge who had sentenced him. Just a coincidence, probably. Lots of people named Khairi Saadallah live in Reading.

Further reading (added 22/6/20): Today the jihadi wannabe's brother told the British meeja that the triple-murderer was only defending himself against a racist attack! Don't you wish, racist English, that you could be the judge, rather than one of the liberals who now sit on the bench?