THOSE who murder innocent people in the name of Islam do not represent the religion, a local faith leader has said.

Shahid Aziz, who lives in Chiseldon, has for the past three years been president of Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam Lahore, an organisation that seeks to promote the progressive face of Islam.

After Wednesday’s horrific attack in London, in which an Islamic extremist killed four people outside Parliament, Shahid has spoken out against what he describes as a “perverted understanding of Islam”.

Shahid, who splits his time between his home in Chiseldon and his organisation’s headquarters in London, said: “We, the Muslims of Britain, condemn all the cowardly and criminal acts wherever they are committed and whoever commits them.

“We will not be cowed and we shall fight such criminals to uphold values of Islam prevalent in the UK such as freedom of expression, rule of law, protection of the disadvantaged and our democratic institutions.

“Let these criminals not divide us and stand united to show these criminals that their evil plans will not succeed.”

Explaining how he feels when he sees such horrific acts carried out in the name of his religion, Shahid said: “It makes me feel sad and very angry because I know these people do not know what Islamic teaching is.

"People take verses out of context and latch on to things that they don’t fully understand.

“The ethos of our organisation, and of Islam more generally, is: you live the way you want to live and I’ll live the way I want to live. This is the tolerance that we see in British society and what we seek to promote in Islam.”

Speaking about Wednesday’s attack, Shahid added: “Had it not been for the brave police officers who put their lives in danger to protect us and our way of life every day, the carnage may have been much worse.

“PC Keith Palmer, a husband and a father who laid down his life for us, was a hero and his murderer a coward; we extend sincere condolences to PC Palmer’s family.”

Wednesday’s attacker has been named as Dartford-born 52-year-old Khalid Masood. Counter-terrorism detectives are attempting to trace any of his associates as they mount a huge investigation to establish what triggered the terrorist’s murderous rampage in Westminster.

It also emerged that three more people have been arrested as part of the inquiry, taking the total to 11. The middle-aged Muslim convert who killed four people in the outrage before he was shot dead by police was born Adrian Elms and also called himself Adrian Russell Ajao.

Police have made three arrests; two in Manchester and one in Birmingham.