London: Man filmed in Jewish area wearing a shirt with a battle cry against Jews
The shirt read "Khaybar Khaybar yaa Yahud," a battle cry referring to the 7th-century massacre of the Jews of Khaybar by Muhammad's army. A Jewish man shopping with his children alerted the police, but the suspect remains at large.
A man was filmed in an area with a large Jewish population wearing a shirt with an inscription threatening to kill Jews. The man was photographed while shopping in North London, and the police have since opened an investigation.
The incident was reported by the organization Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) after it received a complaint from a Jewish man who was shopping at a Sainsbury's branch with his children. The man immediately called the police. The shirt read "Khaybar Khaybar yaa Yahud" — the beginning of an Arabic battle cry that translates to "Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammad is returning." This call refers to the Battle of Khaybar in the early 7th century, in which Muslim forces led by Muhammad massacred the Jews living in the fortresses of the Khaybar oasis in present-day Saudi Arabia.
The Metropolitan Police informed the CAA that at approximately 15:35 last Friday, officers received a report of a man in a supermarket on Williamson Road, in Haringey, wearing a shirt with an allegedly antisemitic inscription. While officers initially spoke with the complainant, they were not immediately aware of the meaning of the slogan. After consultation with experts, the report was recorded as a suspected racially aggravated public order offense.
"Officers are in contact with the victim and the investigation to identify the person involved is ongoing. At this stage, no one has been arrested," the police stated.
The CAA declared that "this despicable intimidation must be met with the full force of the law." The organization added that "incitement and hatred of this kind are becoming increasingly brazen, to the point that they are now displayed casually in everyday public spaces." It further stated that Jews are being subjected to bullying while going about their lives, and that the only way to change the situation is for perpetrators to face consequences. The CAA has called on anyone who saw the man to contact them confidentially to assist in the investigation.
