The father of a 14-year-old boy stabbed outside a mosque in an ‘act of terrorism’ yesterday screamed ‘Someone help me, my son’s about to die’ as he lay with his throat slit.
Syed Hassan Abbas was named locally as the victim of the ‘ISIS-inspired’ stabbing attack outside the Maarif-e-Islam Hussainia Mosque in Herbert Road in Small Heath, Birmingham in the early hours of yesterday.
The schoolboy from the Kings Heath area from Birmingham was stabbed repeatedly in the face and neck at around 1am as his horrified brother and father looked on.
Mr Abbas’s family is describing the attack as ‘an act of terrorism’.
Police have arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and have been granted a further 12 hours to question him in custody.
Syed Hassan Abbas (pictured) has been named locally as the victim of a stabbing outside a mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham in the early hours of yesterday
Pictured is the scene where a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in Small Heath, Birmingham, in the early hours of this morning
The boy is in a critical condition in hospital after the attack outside the Idara Maarif-e-Islam Hussainia Mosque in Herbert Road
West Midlands Police has confirmed the incident is not terror related but they are keeping an ‘open mind as to whether it was religiously or racially motivated’.
The victim’s brother Syed Nedhi Abbas, 17, had been inside a tent at the mosque when he heard his father scream, ‘Someone help me, my sons about to die.’
He said: ‘My brother had been sent into the mosque to find me, my dad and 11-year-old brother were turning the car around when a man wearing a grey tracksuit ran towards him.
‘They saw everything happen.
‘We think he was holding a small knife and he stabbed him around nine times in the face, neck and back of his head.
‘When I ran out I thought it was a car accident and I saw all the blood and realised it was my brother.
‘There were around 20-25 people all stood around him trying to help but people took me inside because I was crying and angry.
‘I wanted to know who had done this to him.’
The stabbing took place outside Idara Maarif-e-Islam Hussainia Mosque on Herbert Road, in Small Heath, Birmingham (pictured)
The boy’s uncle believes his nephew was targeted by a rival religious sect after confronting a gang at the mosque a few hours before.
He said: ‘Last night my nephew was attacked outside a mosque in Birmingham.
‘The attackers slashed his throat, stabbed him twice in the face and stabbed him in his arms.
‘We suspect the reason why they stabbed him in his arms was that he was fighting them off. ‘
The founding member of the Shia mosque, who asked not to be named, believes the attack was ‘inspired by Daesh’ – the Arabic nickname for ISIS.
He said: ‘There is no doubt that this was a targeted attack.
‘The victim might have been random, but in my mind it is clear that these people are from Daesh, and wanted to kill a Shia Muslim based on the belief that they would go to heaven.’
The victim’s brother added he is still fighting for his life at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Pictured are the remnants of yesterday’s stabbing. The father of the victim is reported to have screamed ‘Someone help me, my son’s about to die’ as he ran to his aid
He said: ‘My parents have been by his bedside all night but are currently giving a statement to the police.
‘He has been awake since the incident and has been moving but he his now in an induced coma so he can recover.
‘He is hooked up to a lot of machines at the moment.
‘My brother is my best friend and we did everything together, I feel lost without him.
‘My mum hasn’t stopped crying since.
‘This is a terrorist attack and I just want to know who did this.’
Witnesses at the scene told the Birmingham Mail the teenager was stabbed after being dropped off at the mosque by his father for part of a special 10-day event.
The venue was busy with people despite the late hour as worshippers celebrated the Muharram – the start of the Islamic Holy Year – and the victim’s brother ‘saw it all’.
One witness told the newspaper: ‘His brother saw it all and was screaming to his dad to come and help.’
A crime scene was still in place yesterday (pictured). A 29-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but police are keeping an ‘open mind’ about racial/religious motives
Yesterday a police van and cordon remains in place at the scene, which is near Birmingham City FC’s St Andrews Stadium
Azhar Kiana told the newspaper: ‘It happened on the pavement. By the time, the dad parked his car, his son was on the floor.
‘There was a young man who was brutally beating the boy with a knife.
‘There was blood everywhere, he was hitting the boy’s neck and head. Then the attacker ran off and got into a car.’
Adnan Khan, a senior member of the mosque’s congregation said he believes it was a racist attack.
The information secretary said: ‘We believe this was a racist attack and the young lad was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The police’s investigation into the attempted murder is ‘progressing quickly’, while the 14-year-old fights for his life at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital
‘We had been advised about security and now have knife scanners at the entrance to the halls, but obviously nothing in the street.
‘We believe they were lying in wait for someone to attack.’
Another member of the mosque said there were ‘seven or eight males acting strangely’ at the mosque earlier that day, before they were asked to leave.
He said: ‘There were a lot of people at the mosque that night as part of the 10-day festival, one of the biggest in the Shiah calendar.
‘A group of seven to eight males had came into the mosque a few hours before and were acting very strangely.
‘They were taking obscure pictures and they were asked to leave because of their behaviour.’
The leader of the mosque has said he believes the attack was ‘Daesh-inspired’ and intended to ‘kill a Shia Mulim’
The mosque leader, who has been associated with Shia Muslim centre near Birmingham City FC’s stadium for over 40 years, added: ‘As far as I have been told he is completely paralysed on one side of his body, but is in a stable but critical condition.
‘We just have to hope and pray that he pulls through and is not seriously injured.
‘He was also stabbed in both cheeks, as they tussled on the ground.
‘There would have been around 300 people here last night, but I’m not sure how many people witnessed it.
‘There is no way it was a random act, as the attacker was in a car with other people.
‘He got out, attacked this boy and then got back into the car, which drove away as people tried to chase it down.
‘We have been holding the festival for the last ten days or so, and they would have wanted to make some sort of mark.
‘The West thinks the animosity with Daesh is a new thing, but we’ve been dealing with this for 1,400 years.
‘We haven’t had an incident like this here before, but I’m not surprised that it has happened at all, because it is the way that the world is just now.’
The Islamic leader says the whole congregation has been shocked by the attack, which happened during a 10-day festival to celebrate Muharram – the start of the Islamic year
The Islamic leader said ‘absolutely nothing is going to stop us in our determination to celebrate this special time’ and things would carry on at the mosque ‘as normal’.
He also said West Midland Police’s anti-terror unit was one of the first to arrive on scene in the early hours, before ambulances and police cars came.
Worshipper Salmaan Masri, 34, who attends the mosque, added: ‘It is shocking, very shocking that something like this has happened at a special time like this.
‘We are hoping and praying that the boy will pull through, and that whoever is responsible is brought to justice.’
A 48-year-old woman, whose house looks onto the mosque, also said: ‘I woke up and heard sirens blaring and a lot of screaming.
Witnesses claim there was ‘blood everywhere’ and that the teenager was stabbed several times. Blood was still seen on the pavement outside the mosque (pictured) yesterday
The mosque leader claimed the attack has left the victim ‘paralysed’ and that he was stabbed in both cheeks
‘Something like this, just shows you that the streets are not safe for young people, or indeed anyone.’
Jim Colclough, from the complex crime investigation team at Bournville Lane police station, said: ‘Our investigation continues to progress at pace and there have been some significant developments overnight.
‘My team are working hard to get to the bottom of exactly what has taken place.
‘We continue to work 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.
‘This has been well received and we continue to maintain good relations within the community.
‘As I have said before 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.
‘I’m continuing to appeal to 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 on 0800 555 111 as soon as possible.’
The teenager was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, but has been transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
One witness said: ‘Something like this, just shows you that the streets are not safe for young people, or indeed anyone.’
Amjad Shah, the general secretary of the Hussainia Mosque, confirmed that the 14-year-old was a member of the congregation at the place of worship.
Mr Shah said: ‘This was a cowardly and unprovoked attack and the victim is critically ill in hospital.
‘The Board of Trustees and the entire community is praying for his swift recovery. Our sympathies are extended to the victim’s family.’
Stressing that the motivation for the attack was not yet clear, Mr Shah added: ‘Background checks so far have not associated the suspect with any particular mosque or community.
‘The Board of Trustees emphasises that whatever the motive behind this attack, it should not be sensationalised and neither used as a justification to spread hatred or incite violence.
‘Hussainia Mosque will not tolerate the disturbance of the communal harmony between the various communities that share this geography.
‘This is an ongoing police investigation and further statements will be released as the facts become clearer.’
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