(New York, N.Y.) — Counter Extremism Project CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, CEP Senior Advisor Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown, and CEP Senior Advisor Professor Ian Acheson issued the following joint statement marking 20 years since the July 7, 2005 bombings in London—the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil since the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. On that morning, four Islamist suicide bombers targeted London’s public transit system during rush hour, killing 52 innocent people and injuring almost 800. It was the UK’s first suicide attack inspired by Islamist extremism:

 

“We remember the victims and stand with their families, survivors, and all those whose lives were forever changed after the morning of July 7. We honor the bravery of London’s first responders and ordinary citizens who came together in the face of horror.

 

“Exactly two decades on, the threat of Islamist-inspired terrorism has not abated in Western nations. While tactics may evolve, the underlying ideologies of hate and violence persist — both abroad and at home. This anniversary is a solemn reminder of the need for constant vigilance and a renewed commitment to countering extremism in all its forms.

 

“We must continue to vigorously defend our open societies without compromising the values of freedom, pluralism, and justice that terrorism seeks to undermine.

 

“The lesson we take from that act of Islamist terror that convulsed London is simple and enduring: Give no quarter to violent extremists anywhere.”