Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen represented Progressive Judaism at a solidarity event held outside Southport Mosque.

Rabbi Robyn (pictured above left) joined more than a dozen imams coordinated by MINAB – the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board – as well as Christian and other Jewish faith leaders in a call for communities to reject hatred and stand together.

They spoke of their horror at the fatal knife attack at a children’s party in Southport, mourned the loss of innocent children and shared their thoughts and prayers for the families and survivors. They then stressed the need for communities to come together in this time of grief, and condemned those who seek to use these awful events to divide communities.

The event was a direct response to the violent disorder which saw the mosque attacked and the subsequent far right riots and threats against Muslim and minority communities in other parts of the UK.

Rabbi Robyn said: “The tragic loss of such young lives is horrific. Since that traumatic day, we have seen that violence begets violence.

“I want to show the importance of people from all faiths coming together to implore that anger is not turned into further violence nor fear projected onto scapegoats. Instead, there must be a commitment to holding space for grief and solidarity with those in the community in Southport who are in deep pain.”

You can watch Rabbi Robyn’s BBC interview here or below:

1/2 Incredibly powerful moment in Southport this evening as Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith leaders came together to mourn the loss of innocent children and stand together against those seeking to divide the community following an attack on the mosque.
#bbc pic.twitter.com/4YGnTvvhva

— Together (@togethercoalit) August 2, 2024

The event was organised by Together – the powerful and diverse interfaith coalition committed to building stronger communities – and supported by Hope Not Hate.

Qari Asim, Chair of MINAB, said: “Our thoughts are with the young victims of Monday’s horrific attack and their families. We stand with the community in Southport and express our deepest condolences.

“This is a time when we must stand firmly against opportunistic and shameful attempts to sow the seeds of division and hatred in our communities.

“There is no place in our society for hatred of any form, including Islamophobia — which has risen at alarming levels, causing deep worry in the Muslim community.

“The outpouring of support from the community has been heartening and reminds us that only by coming together, here in Southport and in communities across the country, can we find the space to heal, and to collectively challenge hatred.”