A video showing a group of Muslim students cheering England’s winning goal against Denmark has been viewed thousands of times on the internet.
And we can now reveal the video was taken at the Islamic boarding school Jamiatul Ilm Wal Huda, in Moss Street in Blackburn. It shows the students huddled around a laptop watching the game.
As Harry Kane score the extra-time winner in last night’s semi-final there is utter joy as the students erupt and begin to celebrate.
England will now go on to play Italy in the final on Sunday.
One scholar suggested: “Someone should contact the England team and get them some tickets for Sunday’s final!”
The school when contacted said they were aware of the video and shared this comment from a Year 9 pupil (Friday July 10): "We've had a very difficult 16 month period with the pandemic and many sad stories.
"The England team has truly raised the nation's spirits. These opportunities don't come very often so we should cherish them while we can. We wish the team all the best on Sunday - Football's coming home."
Many on social media commented how questions of ‘loyalty’ and ‘integration’ should not be directed at the Muslim population.
The video was shared on Twitter by Hasan Patel who said: “British Muslim students from an Islamic seminary watching the #ENG game when Kane scored. This is the England we are part from which some people lead us to believe isn’t possible, it is and the racists can do one.”
Former Blackburn with Darwen mayor Salim Mulla said: “It was great to see a bunch of Muslim lads at the boarding school celebrating. It proves a lot of people wrong and all those people who have been writing things to divide us.
“And there are idiots who suggest we are a divided community. Rubbish - we are one community, we are one local authority Blackburn with Darwen. Full stop. We support England, end of.”
Blackburn comedian Tez Ilyas posted: “This is Southgate’s England.”
British Muslim students from an Islamic seminary watching the #ENG game when @HKane scored. This is the #eng we are part from which some people lead us to believe isn’t possible, it is and the racists can do one. @Sathnam @mrjamesob you’ll appreciate it. pic.twitter.com/cKr4SJ0E5Y
— Hasan Patel (@Hasanpatel) July 7, 2021
Hyndburn councillor Noordad Aziz said: “This is simply amazing. To all those that want to divide us #ItsComingHome.”
Hamzah Mahmud, a Blackburn columnist, said: “The feeling of being British represents tolerance even the embracing of difference cultures, ways of life and opinions as the definition evolves along with the people who live here.
“I’ve watched videos of all different cultures embracing our nation's triumph in the Euro 2020 semi-final. The key is they all have the same passion, that passion is football, the passion is England.
“So this goes out to all the racist bigots who boo our players taking the knee for the BLM protest or chant racist slurs. We are just as British as you and it's coming home to our ethnically diverse tolerant British culture.”
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