Fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate
(Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)A woman who claimed that Grenfell Tower victims were “burned alive in a Jewish sacrifice” on her Facebook page has been jailed for 11 months.
Tahra Ahmed, 51, of Lansdowne Road, Haringey, was sentenced on Friday at the Old Bailey after being convicted of two counts of stirring up racial hatred by posting the antisemitic material.
In one post, in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire, she stated that Jewish people were “behind ritual torture” and “the murder of children”.
In another, posted four days after the devastating tragedy which claimed the lives of 72 people, she said: “People trapped in the inferno were burnt alive in a Jewish sacrifice.”
The posts were placed on her personal Facebook account and were reported to police by Jewish communal organisations the Community Security Trust and the Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017.
Prosecutors said she “published two posts that were virulently antisemitic and crossed the line as to what is acceptable in a liberal society.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism’s chief executive Gideon Falter, said Ahmed had attempted to “bait the mob” into hatred against Jews in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.
He said: “Tahra Ahmed sought to twist the Grenfell Tower tragedy to fit her venomous worldview in which it seems that any evil can be attributed to Jews.
“She used people’s suffering and anger in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy and tried to wield it as a weapon against Jews before an audience of tens of thousands on social media.
Detective Sergeant Ross Burrell said: “The comments posted by Ahmed were grossly offensive, abusive and insulting.
“Her comments showed a clear intent to stir up racial hatred and such vile remarks will not be tolerated.
“Those who seek to deliberately drive our communities apart by spreading such spite can expect to be brought to account. We’re here and ready to help anyone who has been affected by someone else’s prejudice, ignorance or violence.”
Ahmed was interviewed under caution about the post but declined to comment. She was charged in May 2021.
