High-profile Islamic cleric assaulted in a ‘pre-planned attack’ at arranged meeting
Muslim Council chair left with serious injuries to mouth and jaw
GARDAÍ have launched an investigation after a high-profile Muslim cleric was attacked in Dublin in what he described as a preplanned hate crime.
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chairman of the Irish Muslim Council, outlined details of the incident, which occurred in Tallaght on Thursday evening, in a series of posts on social media.
Gardaí said they were investigating what they described as a robbery and assault that left a man requiring medical attention. While officer made reference to an alleged robbery, Dr Al-Qadri said his assailants did not take his phone, watch or car.
He said the attack has left him with serious injuries to his mouth and jaw, leaving him unable to talk or eat solid foods.
Dr Al-Qadri said it appeared to be a ‘planned attack’ – but insisted it was not a planned robbery – after he agreed to meet two people in Tallaght. ‘The next thing I remember is feeling disoriented in my car, surrounded by helpful Irish neighbours of the area I was visiting, as the gardaí and ambulance arrived,’ he said.
In a statement, Dr Al-Qadri said he received a call from a man who asked him to officiate his marriage ceremony in Tallaght. However, when he arrived at the agreed address, the cleric said he could not see any cars and thought it strange considering a wedding was supposed to be happening there. He said he was approached by two men and was then attacked.
He said: ‘When I called the person, he instructed me to reverse the car and meet him outside a different house in the same street. Following his instructions, I encountered him and another man who both appeared fully Irish and spoke with Irish accents. Upon opening the passenger door to collect the certificate, my memory becomes blank.
‘The next memory I have is sitting in the driver’s seat of my car, feeling disoriented and confused about why I was there.’
He continued: ‘Luckily, an Irish lady and two Irish men had come to my aid and informed me that help was on the way.
‘It became evident that the two men who struck me intended to harm me rather than rob me, shocking me with the degree of premeditation involved.
‘I was injured and had lost consciousness but my mobile phone was still with me, allowing me to contact my friends who arrived within 15 minutes. They took me to the hospital where I stayed overnight.’
The cleric, who is chief imam at the Islamic Centre of Ireland, said he had a CT scan in hospital.
‘Thankfully, there is no brain injury or broken jaw, but the left side of my face is severely swollen and my front teeth are damaged,’ he posted online. Dr Al-Qadri, who said he is having difficulty speaking and eating because of pain in his face and mouth, thanked people who helped him in the wake of the incident and also expressed his gratitude to all those who had sent well wishes.
He said: ‘Thank you for everyone for their continuous support and messages. Unfortunately, I’m unable to talk due to the pain in my mouth and face. Eating solid food isn’t possible also.’
He continued: ‘I want to reiterate that the attackers did not want to rob me. It was a preplanned attack intended to cause harm. My mobile phone, car and watch was not taken. Having lived in Ireland for 21 years, this has never happened to me. This incident doesn’t change the fact that I deeply appreciate and cherish Ireland and its people.’
A Garda spokeswoman said: ‘Gardaí are investigating a robbery and assault that occurred in Tallaght, Dublin 24, on Thursday evening, February 15, 2024.
‘One man required medical attention following the incident. Investigations are ongoing at this time.’
Dr Al-Qadri regularly appears on TV and radio discussing issues relating to Muslims in Ireland.
He was outspoken after the Dublin riots in November of last year, which were sparked by the stabbing of three children and their childcare worker. Following that incident, Dr Al-Qadri urged Muslims to stay safe in Dublin.
‘We advised our community to be very vigilant,’ he said at the time. ‘The mosques usually have weekend schools where children go but we asked them to suspend it this weekend.
‘We asked people not to travel to Dublin city, to stay indoors.
‘We asked if they had to travel, not to travel on public transport and don’t travel alone.’
He also hit out at those using the attack to foster Islamophobia in Ireland. He said: ‘We are not just Muslims, we are migrants too and as a minority community we’re
‘Thankfully, there is no brain injury’ ‘We can stop such rhetoric spreading’
worried about a certain divisive rhetoric being spread against migrants. We believe there should be some sort of system to prevent this. As I’ve said, our experience here in Ireland has been very welcoming, but in the last few years there seems to be this rhetoric against migrants and we are concerned that it is increasing, like it has in the Netherlands.
‘Now, you have the far right as the largest political party in the parliament there, a party that’s outright anti-migrant and antiIslam and I would say this didn’t happen overnight.’
He continued: ‘It takes years and years for this momentum to grow. In the case of the Netherlands, it took probably 20 years to get to this point. So the question is, where are we now in Ireland?
‘Well, we are probably at the stage where we can still ensure prevention. We can stop such rhetoric from spreading here. This is why we need to approach this subject with a lot of sensitivity and responsibility.’ garreth.macnamee@dailymail.ie