A prayer leader who was injured in a knife attack in a London mosque came back to the mosque less than 24 hours to offer Friday prayers.
Raafat Maglad, aged 70, was stabbed during afternoon prayers at London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park.
He was taken to hospital for medical attention and later discharged.
With his right arm in a sling, he narrated how the harrowing incident panned out saying: “I had shut my eyes and performed sajda (prostration). I felt as if I was hit by a heavy brick. This was extremely frightening.”
The elderly muezzin said he opened his eyes after a while and covered his wound with his hand to stop bleeding.
Some people present there called an ambulance while others helped him stop bleeding, he added.
“I was fortunate that my jugular vein remained unhurt,” he said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also arrived at the mosque in a show of solidarity.
In a Twitter statement, he said: “I’m deeply concerned by this incident at London Central Mosque. Every Londoner is entitled to feel safe in their place of worship & I want to reassure London’s communities that acts of violence in our city will not be tolerated. The Met are providing extra resources in the area.”
I’m deeply concerned by this incident at London Central Mosque. Every Londoner is entitled to feel safe in their place of worship & I want to reassure London’s communities that acts of violence in our city will not be tolerated. The Met are providing extra resources in the area. https://t.co/iljzPrJ4fm
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) February 20, 2020
