British PM repeats 'you ain't no Muslim bruv' remark

British PM repeats 'you ain't no Muslim bruv' remark
British Prime Minister David Cameron repeated the remark 'you ain't no Muslim, bruv' made during the Leytonstone Tube attack, praising the man who said it to the suspect.
3 min read
07 December, 2015
Britain's PM Cameron thanked the eyewitness for capturing the mood [Getty]

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has repeated the now-famous statement "you ain't no Muslim bruv" as the ideal reply to the London Underground knife attacker, during a speech in the Midlands in one of his first public addresses after the incident.

The phrase was first said by an angry eyewitness to the bloody knife-attack at Leytonstone station on Saturday night, in response to the attacker's cry "this is for Syria," before striking violently at random commuters.

By Sunday evening, the hashtag #YouAintNoMuslimBruv was trending across the UK and was widely retweeted by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Many praised it for being a simple summary, in London slang, of what the majority of Muslims have long felt towards violent extremists acting in the name of Islam.



On Monday morning, the 29 year-old man arrested at the station was charged with attempted murder at Westminster Magistrates Court and kept in custody.

Prosecutors allege that Muhaydin Mire, from east London, punched his victim to the ground and repeatedly kicked him before taking hold of the victim's head and cutting a 12-centimetre wound in his neck.

The victim, referred to in court as Male A, was in surgery for five hours after the attack, the prosecution said.

Prosecutors also allege that images and flags associated with the Islamic State group were found on Mire's mobile phone.

Addressing the incident, Cameron thanked the eyewitness for capturing the mood.

"Some of us have dedicated speeches and media appearances and soundbites and everything to this subject, but 'you ain't no Muslim, bruv' said it all much better than I could have done," Cameron said.

Many had predicted on Sunday that the prime minister would at some point repeat the phrase.

  


However, some social media users have responded to Cameron’s statement with a tinge of cynicism, saying it may signal the death knell of the popular hashtag in the UK.


Increased patrols

Police have increased patrols at transport hubs following the incident at Leytonstone station.

"The safety of the travelling public remains our top priority," said transport police spokesman Mark Newton.

Patrols "involve both uniformed and plain-clothed officers, supported by other resources, such as armed officers, police dogs, a network of CCTV cameras, and the thousands of rail staff we work alongside.

"We ask the public to remain calm and carry on using public transport as normal."

Britain's official national threat level from international terrorism was raised in August 2014 to severe, the second highest of five levels, meaning an attack is considered highly likely.