Sir David Amess, a Conservative MP in the United Kingdom, was assassinated by an Islamic terrorist on Friday. The terrorist, a Somali migrant who had acquired British citizenship, stabbed Sir David Amess multiple times at Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. Now, a tweet by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has attracted sharp criticism on social media.
Sadiq Khan said, “I am so deeply, deeply saddened by the tragic news that Sir David has passed away. He loved being an MP and was a great public servant. It is just awful. My thoughts and prayers, and those of all Londoners, are with David’s loved ones at this time of unimaginable grief.”
The language used by Khan to express condolences over the matter has drawn the ire of people on social media. Sadiq Khan described Amess’s death as “passed away”, which cloaks the fact that he was assassinated. Khan also did not issued any condemnation of the extremist ideology responsible for the murder and did not mention it at all in his tweet.
Users accused Khan of making it seem as if Amess had a natural death.
"Passed away".
— L 大 (@L_speaks_) October 16, 2021
He is making it look as if he died naturally. https://t.co/2pQqFPRRkm
"Passed away"?, He makes it sound as if the man died peacefully in sleep. He was murdered!! https://t.co/2JRug1rAxG
— Wolf (@Ask__wolf) October 16, 2021
He did not 'pass away'. He was murdered. https://t.co/GmbnOmJMAW
— Charlie Peters (@CDP1882) October 15, 2021
Others called it shameful and highlighted the fact that Amess was murdered by an Islamic terrorist.
Our democracy is all the poorer, having you as the mayor of its major capital city.
— Dr Rakib Ehsan (@rakibehsan) October 16, 2021
Sir David was murdered – stabbed to death at a church as he held a constituency surgery.
Using the phrase "pass away" over a deadly attack (which is now confirmed as terrorism) is shameful. https://t.co/MX6vl24UxM
It’s beyond contempt – yet a gateway into Sadiq Khan’s mind – that the brutal, frenzied murder of a Tory MP by an Islamist terrorist is “passing away”
— Martin Daubney ✌🏻🇬🇧 (@MartinDaubney) October 16, 2021
Here’s a guy who sees politics, race, division & hate crimes everywhere – except when it’s staring him in the face. Shameful https://t.co/HK2X0nSdNs
One user described Khan as a “horrid goblin of an orc mayor”.
He was murdered in cold blood, you horrid goblin of an orc mayor https://t.co/ssSntXapl2
— Pip Montezuma (he/ho/hum) 🐾 (@or_pip) October 15, 2021
Users also accused Khan of downplaying the murder because the perpetrator was a Somali migrant.
MP Sir David did not "pass away."
— Tom Quiggin (@TomTSEC) October 15, 2021
He was murdered. Assassinated.
The Mayor of London is already soft pedaling the attack given the attacker was a Somali. https://t.co/xR0alMOEzX
The Metropolitan Police has said that the killing of the Conservative MP was an act of terrorism linked to Islamic extremism.
“The fatal stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea has tonight been declared as a terrorist incident, with the investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing,” the police said. The statement issued by the Metropolitan Police added, “The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.”
