By Ahmed J Versi
London, (The Muslim News):
A man has been arrested following stabbing of a 14-year-old boy outside the mosque in Herbert Road, Small Heath, Birmingham during the early hours Saturday.
The 29-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently in custody.
The boy’s uncle, Sayyid Fawad Ali Al Hussaini, in a video post, said his nephew’s throat was slashed, was stabbed twice on his face and his arms were slashed too. “I assure you this was a terrorist attack and should be treated as such,” he said.
The mosque named the boy as Sayyid Hassan Abbas Bukhari. He had gone to listen to a lecture on commemoration of the martyrdom of grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Imam Husayn, in Idaara Maarif-e-Islam mosque.
Imam Husayn, his family and companions were killed in Karbala, Iraq, by the army of Caliph Yazid on 10 th of Muharram, known as Ashura. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar.
“I am completely heartbroken. I am not in a state to talk to anyone. I am lost for words,” Al Hussaini said. He asked everyone to “pray for the boy” as he is undergoing surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The police are not treating the crime as a terrorist but they are “keeping an open mind as to whether it could be racially or religiously motivated.”
Detective Inspector Jim Colclough from the complex crime investigation team at Bournville Lane police station said: “Our investigation is progressing quickly but it is still in the early stages. We do not believe it to be terror-related. The motivation for the attack is not yet known, we are keeping an open mind as to whether it could be racially or religiously motivated.
“We are working closely with local communities and have increased our local police presence in the area to provide reassurance and be on hand to answer any questions or concerns that people may have.
“It is tragic event which has left a young boy in hospital fighting for his life. We’ve spoken to a number of witnesses but would continue to urge anyone who was in the area and saw what happened, or has any other information which may help our investigation to contact me or my team on 101 or to call Crimestoppers as soon as possible.”
[Photo of Sayyid Hassan Abbas Bukhari criculated by the mosque.]
