Unsurprisingly, members of the Muslim community in Britain are fearing an increased backlash after the four bombings on Thursday. According to USA Today, "A tremor of apprehension shook Britain's Muslim community of 1.6 million Friday after undercover officers on the London subway shot and killed a man described by witnesses as a South Asian. The shooting followed a series of small bombings Thursday in which four men placed backpacks of explosives on three trains and a bus."

London Police Commissioner Ian Blair has been extremely gracious and measured in his remarks and in his approach to the investigations. He noted, "We need calm. We know there are rumors sweeping London.... No community should be smeared with responsibility for these matters." In what has been a frequently replayed message on the cable news networks and in other press coverage, Blair said, the investigation was "targeting criminals, and not a community or section of a community."