Sentences have been handed down for the two men convicted in the brutal murder of British soldier Lee Rigby, who was killed in broad daylight on a London street last May.
Michael Adebolajo was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole. Michael Adebowale will serve a minimum of 45 years.
Both men claimed that they acted as "soldiers of Allah." Adebolajo said: "It is a war between Islam, and those militaries that invade Muslim lands."
We spoke to Talha Ahmad from the Muslim Council in Britain, about the reaction of British Muslims to the sentencing, and how this act has affected the Islamic community.
"We are quite relieved that these two men are being put behind bars, effectively for the rest of their lives," Ahmad said. He emphasized that nothing justified the events of last May. "The murder of Lee Rigby was horrific and I think the Muslim community, like every other British citizen, were horrified by it."
While Ahmad acknowledged that debate is needed over whether the UK government is doing enough to integrate Muslims into British society, he says that discussion is entirely separate to the actions of Adebolajo and Adebowale. "Today's focus should rightly be that these two men do not represent Muslims... These men committed horrific crimes and they deserve the punishment that they've got."
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