A MUSLIM association in Croydon has spoken of its members' horror at the atrocity in Woolwich, in the same week that police arrested a man in Norbury on suspicion of posting violent threats against Muslims on Facebook.
Naseem Butt, the president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, based in St James' Road, said his community was deeply saddened to hear the name of Islam used to "justify this horror when the truth is that religion of Islam can in no way condone such barbarism".
"To murder an unarmed individual in this heinous manner is anything but conforming to the law of the land and has no place in Islam," he said.
"As Muslims we are proud to be part of the British community. Britain is our country and we are loyal to it.
"We must not allow incidents like this give extremists the upper hand and disrupt the peace of our society.
"On the contrary we should draw closer together, condemn the extremist elements on all sides and work together to ensure that we continue in our effort to build diverse and cohesive society. This was not just an attack on Britain, and on the British way of life, it was also a betrayal of Islam."
Mr Butt said the police had been exceptional in the aftermath of the incident in Woolwich and that no trouble had been sparked between communities in Croydon.
However, police have arrested a man on suspicion of threatening to make a bomb to kill Muslims and posing on Facebook wearing a balaclava and holding a gun.
Tony Perrin, 27, a scaffolder from Norbury, was arrested near his home on Saturday and later charged with posting a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.
He has been bailed and will appear at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court on June 12.
