• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Prayer leader stabbed in mosque says he forgives attacker

Raafat Maglad, who is in his 70s, returned to the scene for Friday prayers.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-02-21 16:49
in News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

A Muslim prayer leader has said he forgives his attacker after returning to the mosque where he was stabbed.

Raafat Maglad, who is in his 70s, told how he was left with a “very deep cut” to his neck after he was knifed from behind on Thursday afternoon.

He was rushed to hospital but returned to the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park less than 24 hours later for Friday prayers.

A 29-year-old man is in custody after he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he was tackled by worshippers.

With his right arm in a sling and a bandage over his wound, Mr Maglad told reporters: “I forgive him. I feel very sorry for him.”

He added: “What is done is done, he is not going to return.”

The muezzin, who makes the call to prayer, was stabbed at around 3pm in an attack the Metropolitan Police is not treating as terror-related.

RelatedPosts

Abottlelypse Now: UK on brink of beer bottle shortage

Nick Ferrari says ‘nobody cares’ whether Johnson met with Sue Gray

Elizabeth line: When does London’s latest tube line open?

‘We’re putting the Govt on notice’: Unite vows to confront attacks on the right to strike head on

Mr Maglad had a bandage over the wound on his neck (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)
Mr Maglad had a bandage over the wound on his neck (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

Mr Maglad, who is originally from Sudan, said he had seen the attacker previously worshipping at the mosque.

“He hit me. I just felt blood flowing from my neck and that’s it, they rushed me to the hospital. Everything happened all of a sudden,” he said.

Mr Maglad, who has been the muezzin for 30 years, said that as a Muslim he does not hold any hatred in his heart and that it was “very important” for him to attend Friday prayers.

“If I miss it, I just miss something very important. It is very important for us as Muslims,” he added.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised Mr Maglad after meeting him as he attended Friday prayers.

“He was keen to return to the mosque and he is quite clear he is not going to allow this attack to stop him going about his business,” he said.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins the Director General Dr Ahmad Al Dubayan and thousands of worshippers at London Central Mosque supporting the community after yesterday’s attack pic.twitter.com/ixLCKcPT8O

— LondonCentral Mosque (@iccukorg) February 21, 2020

The stabbing, following a string of attacks on places of worship around the world, has prompted safety fears.

Director General Dr Ahmad Al Dubayan said “everybody is worried” since the incident, which took place at a mosque that attracts around 2,000 people every Friday for midday prayers.

“These kind of attacks sometimes are copied by some people and that’s why we are worried,” he said.

He said those in charge will “evaluate” the level of security at the mosque, which already has CCTV cameras operating 24 hours a day.

“We learn from anything that happens, either here or anywhere else, trying to be better for the next thing. I hope there will be no next,” he added.

Worshippers arrive for midday prayers at the London Central Mosque, near Regent’s Park (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)
Worshippers arrive for midday prayers at the London Central Mosque, near Regent’s Park (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

Shaukat Warraich, chief executive of non-theological group Faith Associates, said Muslim worshippers are now “looking over their shoulders” as they come to prayer.

He said: “Regent’s Park is the most iconic mosque in London because of its size and location, but it is probably also the most secure in terms of what they have and resources and manpower.

“But, generally, mosques are soft targets. Most don’t have any security apart from some CCTV.

“What we are seeing now is definitely a change in behaviour – women have stopped going and some children too, they have been advised by the menfolk not to come to prayer in the evenings and to worship at home instead, because there are concerns about being attacked at prayer or on the way to the mosques.

“People are looking over their shoulders, 100%.”

The mayor said there was a heightened police presence on Friday to provide reassurance and prevent copycat attacks.

He said: “I spoke to the deputy commissioner today, he’s reassured me that across London there is an increased police presence today, not because we have any intelligence at all about the risk of any attacks, there’s no heightened risk. But it’s for reassurance and also to avoid any so-called copycat attacks as well.”

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Top Five Children’s Films

Hunt says Britain will be ‘unwavering’ in support for Hong Kong

Massive weight of meltwater lakes causing Antarctic ice shelves to ‘bend’ and buckle

Labour and Conservatives ousted from top two in surprise new poll

LISTEN: Com Truise Returns with ‘Isostasy’

Bad day Branson? Virgin East Coast to be renationalised

Johnson pleads with Brexit Party voters ahead of by-election

Ethiopia aiming for tree-planting world record in move against deforestation

Shocking report highlights extent of “period poverty” in Britain

Diluting DfID at dangerous time – COVID-19 still prevalent around world

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.