A British Muslim leader who protected a terrorist from an angry crowd has received royal recognition.
After the attacker drove into a crowd of worshippers outside a north London mosque, imam Mohammed Mahmoud shielded him until police arrived.
In the aftermath of the Finsbury Park Mosque terrorist attack, an angry mob tried to swarm the far-right killer, Darren Osborne.
He'd just driven a van into a packed pavement of Muslim worshipers, killing one and injuring nine others.
The crowd dragged him from the van, enraged.
But Mr Mahmoud came to his aid, shielding the terrorist from mob rule until police arrived.
He was widely hailed as a hero.
"I've never accepted that title or that description. It was our duty to de-escalate the situation," he said.
His actions in 2017 received global attention, and today regal recognition with Prince William awarding him an OBE at Buckingham Palace.
But Mr Mahmoud says that night in 2017 opened his eyes to Islamophobia.
"It was of course a night of realisation where Islamophobia was no longer simply the ramblings of some madmen. It's a real, concerted effort, with only one objective - to strike fear and to sow division within this society."
In the wake of the Christchurch attacks, flowers are piled up outside the Finsbury Park Mosque, which knows first hand of the grief.
The imam has just returned from visiting Christchurch to help support its Muslim community and, he said, "to thank Christchurch for their sincerity and for their authenticity in how they came out in condemnation of this attack to take swift action that is lasting and meaningful".
His message is one of peace, one he preaches - and practises.
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