Twenty-four years ago, Islamist terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the Twin Towers in New York and a third into the Pentagon.
The fourth crashed into a rural field after passengers bravely fought the terrorist hijackers to stop them from reaching their original target.
There were almost 3,000 victims who were murdered in this attack. We remember them and thousands more who were injured. We also remember those working in the emergency services who ran towards the danger in order to help those who had been attacked, many of whom were also tragically killed.
The USA and the world will never forget this day when so many innocent people were murdered by terrorists who hate the West and our way of life.
Islamist extremism is a threat we know all too well in the UK. In July, we remembered those who were murdered by Islamist terrorists in the 7/7 bombings, which took place twenty years ago – this was the deadliest terrorist attack ever committed on UK soil.
In the UK, Islamists are responsible for 94 per cent of all deaths caused by terrorism since 1999 and around 88 per cent of injuries caused by terrorism over the same period. Last year, Islamists accounted for 80 per cent of the police’s counter-terror caseload, 75 per cent of MI5’s and 63 per cent of terrorists in custody.
On the 24th anniversary of 9/11, data on Islamic extremism shows Britain is asleep at the wheel - Chris Philp
|REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine
However, it is truly concerning that only 13 per cent of the Prevent caseload relates to Islamist extremism. We must ask ourselves: why is Prevent under-engaging with Islamist extremists, especially when the threat is so clear?
The Labour Government seem afraid to call out Islamist extremism. Instead, the definition of Islamophobia they are understood to be considering will have a chilling impact on the ability of the police and security services to operate in tackling Islamist extremism.
Of course, hatred directed against Muslims is just as bad as any other form of hatred based on race or religion, and it must be fought. But rules that stop criticism of any religion or drawing attention to real issues – such as the rape gang scandal – cannot be allowed.
The Islamist extremists who carried out the evil attack on 7 July 2005 and the evil attack in the USA on 11 September 2001 did not just seek to divide us; they sought to murder and terrorise the British and American people. They despise us and our way of life. We must remain united in the fight against this wicked ideology.