"The emotional and social toll of 7/7 on Muslim communities was profound" says Qari Asim on 7/7 London Bombings

On July 7, 2005, the 7/7 London Bombings killed 52 people and injured over 770, shaking the UK. Four British Muslim men detonated bombs on three Underground trains and a bus, as detailed in Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers. This Netflix documentary explores the 7/7 London bombings and their aftermath.

For British Muslims, the tragedy brought grief and heightened scrutiny. On July 6, 2025, Imam Qari Asim reflected on how the community was still affected in the wake of the bombings.

“The emotional and social toll of 7/7 on Muslim communities was profound,” he said.

He also reflected on the ongoing pain from suspicion and Islamophobia. The bombings, executed during rush hour, targeted Aldgate, Edgware Road, Russell Square, and Tavistock Square. The attackers, linked to al-Qaeda, were British-born, intensifying the focus on Muslim communities.

In the wake, mosques faced arson, and hate crimes surged. Twenty years later, on July 7, 2025, commemorations like the St. Paul’s Cathedral service honored victims. Yet, for Muslims, the bombings reshaped their identity and sense of belonging. Policies like Prevent fueled distrust.

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Imam Qari Asim highlights lasting grief and isolation for British Muslims post 7/7 London bombings

On July 7, 2005, four British Muslim men—Mohammad Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Germaine Lindsay, and Hasib Mir Hussain—carried out the 7/7 London Bombings, killing 52 and injuring over 700 people. Bombs were detonated at 8:50 am on Underground trains at Aldgate, Edgware Road, and Russell Square, and at 9:47 am on a No. 30 bus in Tavistock Square, as per People.

The Netflix documentary Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers, released July 2, 2025, details the al-Qaeda-linked attack and investigation, showing CCTV footage of the bombers at Luton station. Imam Qari Asim, living in Leeds where three of the bombers lived, noted profound emotional and social tolls following the bombings, as reported by The Guardian.

Police recorded 180 racist incidents within three days, 58 of which were faith-related, with mosques targeted by arson, per The Guardian. A Guardian poll found that two-thirds of Muslims even considered leaving the UK. Asim organized peace walks in Leeds, but fear persisted. He recalled how people started to avoid him in lifts, and he stopped using a rucksack.

Counter-terrorism policies like Prevent, part of the 2005 Contest strategy, increased surveillance, alienating Muslims. Shabna Begum of Runnymede Trust highlighted the racialized impact on South Asians. Islamophobic assaults rose 73% in 2024, fueled by far-right rhetoric. Despite interfaith solidarity, trust eroded.

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Counter-terrorism policies deepened Muslim community distrust

7/7 London Bombings shook the nation (Image via Unsplash)

Post 7/7 London Bombings, Tony Blair's 12 counter-terrorism measures, including Prevent, aimed to curb radicalization but alienated Muslims, per BBC News. Prevent, launched in 2005, targeted “at-risk” communities, often young Muslim men, without enough community input. A five-year-old was reportedly referred to the program, and university students faced scrutiny over research, per The Guardian.

Milo Comerford of ISD noted that government engagement became security-focused, fostering distrust. The 2005 shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, mistaken to be one of the suspects of the July 21 failed attack, and a 2006 raid injuring Mohammed Abdul Kahar intensified fears, according to CNN.

Shaista Gohir of Muslim Women’s Network UK said Islamophobia became mainstream, worsened by media outlets like GB News, as reported by The Guardian. Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers showed how these policies vilified Muslims, amplifying feelings of being “outside the main body of who is to be British,” as Begum noted.

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