UK: After an elderly Muslim worshipper was set ablaze by an attacker as he walked home from a mosque at 7 p.m. local time on Monday, prompting the involvement of counterterrorism police, police in the English city of Birmingham have made one arrest on suspicion of attempted murder.
According to West Midlands police, the suspect spoke with the victim for a brief period of time before spraying him with an unidentified substance and lighting his jacket on fire, which later spread to his face. Police described the man's injuries as serious but not life-threatening, so he was taken to the hospital. Later, video of the incident spread on social media.
Inquiries are being helped by officers from the West Midlands police counterterrorism unit, who are also looking into whether the attack is connected to a similar incident that happened in Ealing, London, on February 27. In that incident, the victim was attacked as he was leaving an Islamic centre in the borough of London.
Chief Supt. Richard North of the Birmingham Police told Sky News on Tuesday that "this is a really serious incident." The victim was set on fire as he was simply going about his business and returning from a place of worship when he was approached and doused with this substance.
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In a previous statement, North added that counterterrorism specialists were involved in the investigation in part because of the "specialist capabilities" they had available to them to help determine the specifics of the crime.
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The Association of British Muslims (AoBM) expressed shock following the attack, while the office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it a "concerning case" in a statement. Mohammad Abbasi, the co-director of the organisation, continued, "We also call for calm and urge all communities to come together, to be vigilant, and to work with the police.
