Muslim leaders will need to follow new safety procedures when travelling in Ireland after an alleged 'hate crime' attack last week, the Chair of the Irish Muslim Council has said.
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri was hospitalised with a severely swollen face and damaged teeth after he was attacked in Dublin last Thursday.
He has claimed it was a "deliberate hate crime attack" – saying it happened after he arranged to meet two people he did not know in Tallaght.
He told Newstalk Breakfast this morning that he was asked to go to a house for a wedding blessing – but was surprised when there was only one car at the house as he arrived.
"Normally you'd have a few cars, guests would be there," he said.
"I called the person that had made the appointment and had also filled in an application form for it.
"He asked me to reverse the car and go back to the beginning of the road... and he would be standing outside the house.
"I drove back and then I saw somebody standing at the beginning of that road waving at me.
"I parked my car and I went out of the car to greet the person, then I noticed the other person that was with him - I greeted him also.
"Then I moved towards the passenger door of my car to take the document out...and as soon as I did that, I don't remember anything after that.
"That's when I was hit and I just fell unconscious, I was knocked down."
I have recently started reading the comments on my tweets and would like to express my gratitude to the majority for their incredibly kind messages of support following the recent attack. Your encouragement and well wishes have touched my heart during this difficult time. ❤️🩹… pic.twitter.com/wE0Yvv6f0l
— Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri (@DrUmarAlQadri) February 18, 2024
Dr Al-Qadri said he believes the attack was meticulously planned.
"Attacks happen and have happened in the past on individuals," he said.
"This attack was an attack that was carefully planned.
"The perpetrators not only called me and invited me to come to an address, they actually went through the steps of filling in an application form.
"They hadn't asked specifically for me; they had just asked for an Imam."
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri. Image: X/@DrUmarAlQadriDr Al-Qadri said there will have to be some changes going forward.
"My congregation and other Imams I have spoken to already, they have said we should have some SOPs [Standard Operating Procedures] in place – that Imams should not travel alone.
“The second thing is that if somebody wants to have a blessing they should come to the Mosque or the Islamic Centres.
"An Imam should not travel unless they know people personally".
Dr Al-Qadri said he is now doing "much better" and thanked people who came to his aid.
