Mohammed Saleem and Lee Rigby both victims of senseless, extremist violence

by Sheila Musaji

In the past few weeks, there were TWO brutal machete/knife murders in London.  They have been treated and characterized very differently. 

This photograph was posted on Facebook.

In the first brutal murder, Mohamed Saleem, a 75 year old man was brutally stabbed to death by strangers as he returned home on a public street from his local mosque at night.  The Guardian reported that

  ...  Mohammed Saleem, who used a walking stick, was stabbed three times in the back as he returned home from prayers at his local mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham. 

The blows were struck with such violence they penetrated to the front of his body.  The father of seven also had no defensive wounds in what has been described as a swift, vicious and cowardly attack by the man leading the murder investigation, Detective Superintendent Mark Payne of West Midlands police.

Officers want to trace a white man, aged 25-32, of medium height and build, spotted on CCTV footage running near the scene of the attack around the time it happened, just before 10.30pm.

Police also want to trace a seven-seat people carrier captured on CCTV, driving near the mosque with the two male occupants, both white and in their 30s, who are considered “significant witnesses”. ...

The Daily Mail reported a few more details:  “...  He had been stabbed three times in the back and his head had been stamped on during the attack.  ...  The ‘highly respectable’ father of seven – who suffered from arthritis and walked with the aid of a stick – is not believed to have been targeted in a mugging gone wrong because his wallet was found in his clothing.”

Although this murder happened a few weeks ago, law enforcement has still not been able to locate the killer or killers.  There is a 10,000 pound reward being offered for information, and a video exists of the perpetrator running away.

Law enforcement and the media are characterizing this as a “possible” racially motivated attack, but withholding judgement until the perpetrator/s are caught and a definite motive can be ascertained.

In the second brutal murder, Lee Rigby, an off-duty British soldier was attacked and killed on a public street in broad daylight by two strangers.  This very similar murder received a great deal of attention, and was publicized around the world.  You would have to be living in a cave somewhere not to know the particulars of this case.

Both of the victims were innocent of any wrongdoing.  Both crimes were equally unprovoked, brutal and vicious.  Both victims were killed in a particularly horrific attack.  The families of both victims are suffering equally.  Why then, the difference in public outrage at the perpetrators and interest or compassion for the victims?  Why does one crime make people fearful, and the other crime go ignored?  There are many questions raised by such cases, but the consideration of why these cases are perceived and reacted to so differently is certainly one question worth asking.

Myriam Francois-Cerrah asks this particular question eloquently:  “Many have questioned why the murder has received such unprecedented coverage, with some ‎pointing out that the equally brutal murder of 75 year old Mohammed Saleem, stabbed to death as ‎he returned home from his local mosque in Birmingham earlier this month, received comparatively ‎little attention. In both cases, a violent minority may be implicated in a murder with political ‎dimensions, in one case politically radicalised Muslims, in the other, the Far-Right. Both could be ‎dubbed a form of ‘terrorism’ and yet, only one has been.‎  It is a rather trite observation to state that the term ‘terrorism’ has become eminently politicised, ‎used much more readily and easily to refer to violence by certain types of political dissidents, such ‎as those whose violence targets the majority, than to refer, as it was originally devised, to states, ‎or groups targeting minorities.” 

The perpetrators of these crimes are criminals who deserve to be tried and punished to the full extent of the law.  They don’t belong in civilized society.  They chose to carry out vicious acts that put them outside of civilized society.  They are responsible for their crimes.  My heart goes out to both of these victims and to their families.  They are in my prayers.

 

 

 

 

SEE ALSO:

A brave woman talked down Woolwich terrorists who told her: ‘We want to start a war in London tonight’  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10074881/Mum-talked-down-Woolwich-terrorists-who-told-her-We-want-to-start-a-war-in-London-tonight.html

A British Imam’s Response to the Woolwich Killing - Shaykh Shams Ad Duha gives Khutbah on issues VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rU9yNAxOKg&feature=share

A Murder in Woolwich: Was the brutal south London killing of a British soldier actually an act of terrorism?, H.A. Hellyer http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/05/24/a_murder_in_woolwich_london_attack

Anti-Muslim reprisals after Woolwich attack:  English Defence League in street battles with police in Woolwich and mosques attacked in apparent acts of revenge http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/23/woolwich-attack-anti-muslim-reprisals

Birmingham murder may have been racially motivated, say police http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/02/birmingham-murder-racially-motivated-police

British police arrest two more over London attack http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/us-britain-killing-cameron-idUSBRE94L0WU20130523

Anjem Choudary Head of radical Islamist group who knew London knifeman blames UK foreign policy http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-britain-killing-choudarybre94m0oz-20130523,0,7929839.story

Grandfather, 75, ‘tried to fight off killer’ before being stabbed to death outside his home on return from mosque’s evening prayers http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316958/Small-Heath-stabbing-Birmingham-pensioner-Mohammed-Saleem-Chaudry-killed-way-evening-prayers.html

Imams distribute white roses in Woolwich & issue fatwa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysw7zVr144I&feature=youtu.be

London Muslim Centre and Tower Hamlets Mayor condemn Woolwich attacks http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/court-crime/london_muslim_centre_and_tower_hamlets_mayor_condemn_woolwich_attacks_1_2206908

Muslims condemn barbaric killing http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/10436984.Muslims_condemn_barbaric_killing/?ref=nt

Muslims must not apologise for terror - they are no more responsible than the rest of us, Ian Dunt http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2013/05/22/comment-muslims-must-not-apologise-for-terror-they-are-no-mo

Woolwich Machete Attack: Muslim Religious Groups Condemn Killing http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/05/22/woolwich-machete-attack-religious-groups-condemn-killing_n_3322089.html?utm_hp_ref=uk?ncid=GEP

‘Not in our name’ – British Muslims denounce the Woolwich attack on Twitter http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/05/not-in-the-name-of-islam-british-muslims-denounce-the-woolwich-attack/

UK mosques attacked in backlash of Woolwich beheading http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/UK-mosques-attacked-in-backlash-of-Woolwich-beheading/articleshow/20237304.cms 

Was the London killing of a British soldier ‘terrorism’?, Glenn Greenwald http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/23/woolwich-attack-terrorism-blowback

What does it feel like to be a Muslim Londoner today? The Woolwich killings and my raw uncensored emotions, Shelina Zahra Janmohamed http://www.spirit21.co.uk/2013/05/woolwich-killings-raw-uncensored-emotions-of-a-muslim-londoner/

Woolwich attack: government convenes emergency meeting – live updates http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-two-shot-in-police-incident-live-coverage

Woolwich attack: lone wolf and jihadist theories will occupy security forces http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-attack-lone-wolf-jihadist

Woolwich attack: These killers represent no one but themselves http://blogs.metro.co.uk/news/woolwich-attack-these-killers-represent-one/

The Woolwich Attack: Should We Feel Terrorised?‎, Myriam Francois-Cerrah http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/myriam-francois/the-woolwich-attack-shoul_b_3331910.html