London: Man arrested for stabbing muezzin in Mosque

Man arrested for being involved in stabbing inside a Central Mosque in London.

The man was alleged to stab a victim in the attack. Paramedics took the victim to the hospital and he was out of danger.

Worshippers had apprehended a 29-year-old man as they broke from prayer to retain him until police reached the spot.

Sources from the mosque say that the injured man was the muezzin. He was stabbed shortly after 3 pm local time during afternoon prayer.

Dr. Ahmed Al Dubayan, director-general of the mosque, said he had talked briefly to Muezzin on phone. He said he was feeling well.

An advisor to the mosque Ayaz Ahmad said the stabbing “would have been life-threatening if it wasn’t for the worshippers”.

Mustafa Field, director of the Faiths Forum for London, said to media that the incident was “one stab, one strike, around the neck” of the victim.

He said, “Then the congregation members, some of them broke their prayers, and intervened, restrained the individual.”

Abi Watik, who saw the incident, said that the arrested man was seen in the mosque before. He also said that the man had stabbed the muezzin in the shoulder.

He said, “He was praying behind him [the muezzin] and then he stabbed him.

“He was waiting for him I think to start praying. He was right behind him.”

The 59-year-old added that the suspect “was silent the whole time”.

Dr. Al Dubayan said, “We are so sad about what has happened and we hope it’s just one-off incident, not related or motivated by any kind of hatred.”