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Mosque chairman 'was victim of carjack stabbing'

Tom OakleyWest Midlands
BBC Residential street lined with red-brick terraced houses on both sides, with cars parked along the road. A clear roadway extends into the distance beneath an overcast sky, with trees, utility lines, and scaffolding visible among the houses. BBC
Officers were called to St Saviours Road on Tuesday

The chairman of a mosque "bravely confronted four masked men" before being stabbed twice in a suspected carjacking, according to his nephew.

The man in his 60s was attacked on St Saviours Road in Alum Rock, Birmingham, at about 23:55 BST on Tuesday.

Majid Mahmood, a member of Birmingham City Council, said his uncle Abdul Ghafoor was the victim of the "appalling act of violence", and the attack left his "family and the wider community deeply distressed".

It happened days after a shooting in a nearby street which left a 16-year-old boy - also a relative of Mahmood - in a critical condition.

Ghafoor, chairman of the Masjid Muhammadi mosque less than half a mile away on Hartopp Road, remains in a stable condition in hospital, and his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

West Midlands Police, which is investigating both attacks, confirmed the account of a group wearing masks with regard to St Saviours Road, and in an appeal for information, described the attackers as Asian.

Police said they believed the stabbing to be an isolated attack and not linked to any other recent violent crime in the area.

A photograph of Majid Mahmood in a corridor of what appears to be a historic building. He wears a black suit with a white shirt and red patterned tie. He looks away from the camera.
Councillor Majid Mahmood said his uncle had "served those around him with sincerity and kindness"

A statement shared by Mahmood said he had looked up to his uncle Ghafoor his "entire life", and called him "one of the most humble, hardworking and respected individuals" in the community.

Mahmood added: "I am deeply shocked and saddened by the horrific attack on my relative, uncle Abdul Ghafoor, following a violent carjacking in Alum Rock.

"This is particularly heartbreaking for me personally, as uncle Abdul Ghafoor is not only a relative but someone I have known and looked up to my entire life.

"During this terrifying incident, uncle Abdul Ghafoor bravely confronted four masked individuals before being stabbed twice.

"On behalf of the family, I would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the medical staff caring for [him]."

Mahmood also urged people to refrain from speculation or sharing unverified information on social media.

In response to the attacks, there has been an increased police presence in the Alum Rock area in recent days.

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