DURHAM: Two Muslim postgraduate students of Arab origin were viciously attacked on Christmas Eve after wishing a man a “merry Christmas,” according to UK media.
Ihsan Abualrob was punched in the face and his body kicked whilst he lay on the ground by a group of men in Durham.
Police confirmed that two men have been arrested on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault in connection with the attack that took place, reports said.
Ihsan Abualrob and his friend Sherif MohyEldeen, who are studying at Durham University, were “harassed, insulted and physically assaulted” by a group of men, according to MohyEldeen’s Facebook page.
Ihsan Abualrob’s injured knee. (Facebook)
The attack happened after the two students visited their local pub to play pool and it transpired that the students were from Egypt and Palestine.
Abualrob told the Northern Echo: “We don’t drink and were sitting there chatting when out of the blue a British guy approached us, pulled up a chair uninvited and asked where we were from.
MohyEldeen said that the man asked them where they were from and exclaimed “Egypt, Palestine. So, you are all Muslims… Are you suicide bombers?” in response to their reply.
The students were attacked after they left the pub by the man and his friends.
Abualrob said that “they started insulting my religion” and that he wished them a “merry Christmas” in response to their insults.
He told the Northern Echo: “We started crossing the street and they followed us. One of them threw an empty glass toward us. Then one of them lunged at me and punched me on my left check and I fell to the ground. Then three of them started kicking me in the head, shoulders and body. I grabbed my head in my arms trying to protect my face”.
MohyEldeen described the attack as like “living my worst nightmare” and Abualrob said that “Christmas should be a time of love and hope, not violence.”
A spokesman for Durham Police said that “A 49-year-old man and a 23-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury.”
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Muslim student in UK attacked for wishing man ‘merry Christmas’
Muslim student in UK attacked for wishing man ‘merry Christmas’
Mali, Burkina say restricting entry for US nationals in reciprocal move
ABIDJAN: Mali and Burkina Faso have announced travel restrictions on American nationals in a tit-for-tat move after the US included both African countries on a no-entry list.
In statements issued separately by both countries’ foreign ministries and seen Wednesday by AFP, they said they were imposing “equivalent measures” on US citizens, after President Donald Trump expanded a travel ban to nearly 40 countries this month, based solely on nationality.
That list included Syrian citizens, as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders, and nationals of some of Africa’s poorest countries including also Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.
The White House said it was banning foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans.
Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry said in the statement that it was applying “equivalent visa measures” on Americans, while Mali said it was, “with immediate effect,” applying “the same conditions and requirements on American nationals that the American authorities have imposed on Malian citizens entering the United States.”
It voiced its “regret” that the United States had made “such an important decision without the slightest prior consultation.”
The two sub-Saharan countries, both run by military juntas, are members of a confederation that also includes Niger.
Niger has not officially announced any counter-measures to the US travel ban, but the country’s news agency, citing a diplomatic source, said last week that such measures had been decided.
In his December 17 announcement, Trump also imposed partial travel restrictions on citizens of other African countries including the most populous, Nigeria, as well as Ivory Coast and Senegal, which qualified for the football World Cup to be played next year in the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.
In statements issued separately by both countries’ foreign ministries and seen Wednesday by AFP, they said they were imposing “equivalent measures” on US citizens, after President Donald Trump expanded a travel ban to nearly 40 countries this month, based solely on nationality.
That list included Syrian citizens, as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders, and nationals of some of Africa’s poorest countries including also Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.
The White House said it was banning foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans.
Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry said in the statement that it was applying “equivalent visa measures” on Americans, while Mali said it was, “with immediate effect,” applying “the same conditions and requirements on American nationals that the American authorities have imposed on Malian citizens entering the United States.”
It voiced its “regret” that the United States had made “such an important decision without the slightest prior consultation.”
The two sub-Saharan countries, both run by military juntas, are members of a confederation that also includes Niger.
Niger has not officially announced any counter-measures to the US travel ban, but the country’s news agency, citing a diplomatic source, said last week that such measures had been decided.
In his December 17 announcement, Trump also imposed partial travel restrictions on citizens of other African countries including the most populous, Nigeria, as well as Ivory Coast and Senegal, which qualified for the football World Cup to be played next year in the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.
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