Human chain in London to express solidarity with March 22 attack victims

Women in London formed a human chain on Westminster Bridge on Sunday afternoon, four days after the terror attack, to show solidarity with victims. The attack on Westminster on Wednesday, March 22, had left three members of the public fatally injured and around 50 others wounded. The terrorist, Khalid Masood, also stabbed an unarmed police officer before being shot down by the police. The human chain on Sunday was organised by Women’s March on London and brought together women of all backgrounds, many of them Muslim. Women from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community came to express their condemnation of the attack and stand defiant in the face of terrorism.

Ahmadi Muslim #Women stand alongside women of other religions, races and culture to show #solidarity. #westandtogether via @OfficialAMWSA pic.twitter.com/8cTyGAQyTf

— Women's March London (@womensmarchlon) March 26, 2017

The women wore blue to symbolise hope and held hands for five minutes as Big Ben chimed at 4pm. One of the women who participated was Sarah Waseem, 57, from Surrey, who said: "When an attack happens in London, it is an attack on me. It is an attack on all of us. Islam totally condemns violence of any sort. This is abhorrent to us." Ayesha Malik, a 34-year-old mother-of-two also from Surrey, said: "As a visible Muslim I think it was important to show solidarity with the principles that we all hold dear, the principles of plurality, diversity and so on." Londoner Mary Bennett said: “I am here to show that in a quiet way we continue to go where we like and do what we like in London. This is my city. It’s a very small gesture but life is made up of small gestures.”