Woman in Charlie Hebdo T-shirt who was stabbed at Speakers’ Corner is revealed as Christian preacher, 39, from group that ‘preaches the Gospel to Muslims’ – as anti-terror cops lead hunt for knifeman
- Hatun Tash, 39, was treated in hospital after being slashed across the face
- Stabbing happened at Hyde Park in London in the rain on Sunday afternoon
- She is DCCI Ministries which says it ‘seeks to preach the Gospel to Muslims’
- Counter-terrorism officers are investigating but no arrests have been made
A woman wearing a Charlie Hebdo T-shirt who was stabbed at Speakers’ Corner has been identified as a Christian preacher as counter-terrorism officers investigate.
Hatun Tash, 39, was treated in hospital after being slashed across the face with a knife at Hyde Park in London in the pouring rain on Sunday afternoon.
She is from a group called DCCI (Defend Christ Critique Islam) Ministries which says it ‘seeks to preach the Gospel to Muslims using apologetics and polemics’.
A distressing recording of the incident at 3.34pm was posted on YouTube showing an unknown person dressed in a black hoodie attacking Ms Tash, then running away.
She fell to the ground and was seen bleeding as crowds gathered around her. Ms Tash later got up and proclaimed: ‘Cutting people’s arms is not going to help you’.
Hatun Tash (in Charlie Hebdo T-shirt) was treated in hospital after being slashed across the face with a knife at Hyde Park in London in the pouring rain on Sunday afternoon
Hatun Tash is a Christian preacher from a group called DCCI (Defend Christ Critique Islam) Ministries which ‘seeks to preach the Gospel to Muslims using apologetics and polemics’
The preacher added that it is ‘not about the blood on my hands’ and continued: ‘It is unacceptable that you are running away from Jesus Christ.’
Her Charlie Hebdo T-shirt had a cartoon showing a man kissing a cartoonist with the slogan ‘L’amour plus fort que la haine’ (love is stronger than hate).
Who is Hatun Tash? The ex-Muslim from Turkey who is now a regular at Speakers’ Corner
Hatun Tash is a Christian preacher from a group called DCCI (Defend Christ Critique Islam) Ministries who is a regular at Speakers’ Corner.
The 39-year-old is a former Muslim from Turkey who is now a prominent critic of Islam and believes Muslims should be encouraged to convert to Christianity.
She has had many heated discussions with Islamic preachers and others, and has previously been attacked for piercing holes through the Koran and waving a cartoon image of the Prophet Mohammed depicted as a crying baby.
DCCI Ministries ‘seeks to preach the Gospel to Muslims using apologetics and polemics’, adding: ‘Our motivation is a love for Muslims to bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ in order to attain eternal life.’
In October 2020, Sadiq Khan was asked about Ms Tash at Mayor’s Question Time and said police had escorted her out of Hyde Park ‘for her own safety’ after a large and hostile crowd had gathered around her.
He added that ‘freedom of speech is a principle that I hold dear’, adding: ‘One of the best things about London is the fierce way in which we protect this right and people’s ability to exercise it.’
Ms Tash has since been discharged from a hospital in London and Scotland Yard’s SO15 Counter Terrorism Command are now leading the investigation.
But the force insisted the incident in ‘is not being treated as terrorism-related at this time’ and that they were keeping an open mind about possible motives.
Detective Superintendent Alex Bingley, of the Central West Command Unit which covers policing in Westminster, said: ‘This was clearly a very distressing incident for the woman involved and officers have spent time with her, whilst she was being treated for her injury, to get an account of what happened.
‘We know that this assault was witnessed by a number of people, many of whom captured it on their phones. I would ask them, if they have not already done so, to contact police.
‘We remain in the early stages of our investigation and are working hard to trace the person responsible.’
DS Bingley also asked people not to ‘speculate on the motive for the attack until we have established the full facts’.
Footage shared on social media showed someone dressed in black approaching Ms Tash who was wearing a Charlie Hebdo T-shirt.
Ms Tash was later seen clutching her right hand close to her body and with what appeared to be blood at her temple as she was helped into a police van by officers who were nearby.
No arrests have been made and a knife was found near the scene of the attack.
Twelve members of staff at the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo were gunned down in January 2015 by two brothers who vowed allegiance to Al Qaeda.
The gunmen said they were taking revenge for the magazine’s publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that many Muslims find offensive.
Ms Tash has previously been attacked for piercing holes through the Quran and waving a cartoon image of the Prophet Mohammed depicted as a crying baby.
Video footage showed a large group of people standing outside in torrential rain at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park before the attacker lunged at Ms Tash and stabbed her
Ms Tash suffered a stab wound and was seen with blood pouring down her face on Sunday
The man who carried out the attack sprinted away as he was chased by members of the public
DCCI Ministries states on its website: ‘Our motivation is a love for Muslims to bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ in order to attain eternal life.’
Speakers’ Corner is a historic place for open-air debate, where people have gathered at Speakers’ Corner since the 1860s to exercise their right to free speech.
Historic figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell are all known to have visited to discuss the issues of the day.
In recent years, topics such as Islamic fundamentalism have often featured in the debates which normally take place on Sundays.
Anyone with information about Sunday’s incident is asked to contact Scotland Yard via 101 or @MetCC quoting reference Cad 4376/25Jul. Alternatively, to remain anonymous, witnesses can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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