Theresa Villiers MP, Mike Freer MP and James BrokenShire MP at the Islamic Association North London mosque

Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire MP, visited the site of the Al-Rahma Islamic Centre which was destroyed by fire on Wednesday this week.

The Minister was accompanied by local Barnet MPs Mike Freer and Theresa Villiers. The community centre in Muswell Hill was used mainly by the local Somali community. A Police investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Graffiti reading EDL was found on the building, and part of the... (continued)

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Speaking after the vigil held at this evening at Somali and Bravanese Islamic Centre in Coppetts Road, Theresa Villiers, the local MP for the area, reiterated her condemnation of the attack which took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning and saw the centre burned down.

Theresa said: “I was impressed by the calm resolve that the community displayed at tonight’s vigil. We were there to demonstrate our support for the Somali community and all those who used the Bravanese Community Centre in Coppetts Road.”“While it is still not possible to know all the facts, it... (continued)

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Following the news that the Somali and Bravanese Islamic Centre on Coppetts Road was burnt down yesterday, Theresa Villiers MP has issued the following statement:

“I am shocked by this attack in my constituency. This kind of hate crime is absolutely despicable. This is not just an attack on the Muslim community it is an attack on all of us and our values. We are a highly diverse multi-ethnic borough with excellent community cohesion in... (continued)

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The following article by Theresa Villiers will be published in the Barnet Press this week.

The Coalition Government is pressing ahead with an ambitious reform programme across many aspects of public sector activity, including changes to the way we deal with those convicted of crimes. For the first time, even those who have been given short sentences will be subject to supervision when they leave prison. We are also changing the way prisons work.

Prisoners across England and Wales will now need to make real progress towards their own rehabilitation before receiving privileges. For too long there has been an expectation that privileges are an automatic right but they will now have to be earned through positive engagement in rehabilitation and not merely through... (continued)

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