Mohammed Rayaz, a man in his seventies, had just left the Dudley Road Mosque when he was sprayed with an unknown substance and had his jacket set on fire. He suffered life-changing injuries and is currently in hospital in a serious but stable condition. The incident happened near the Dudley Road Mosque on Shenstone Road on Monday evening at around 19.00 GMT
There has been a swift response from the police, with a man being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The police have also been carrying out inquiries and are being supported by counter-terror police. The role of the community in identifying the suspect has also been praised, with MP Shabana Mahmood stating that if it were not for the community, the arrest would not have been made so early.
As the incident happened just before the beginning of Ramadan, MP Shabana Mahmood also organised a community walkabout on Wednesday to reassure Muslim communities. Local solicitor Shahbon Hussain, who is a StreetWatch member, stressed the need for preventative action inside the mosques to ensure nothing like this happens and to work in close collaboration with the police and Birmingham City Council.
The incident has caused alarm and concern among people, with one nearby resident Mohammed Abbasim saying that he was shocked to find someone he knew had been targeted.
If you have any CCTV, ring doorbell footage or video footage that could help the investigation then you can send this to police directly by using this link:
Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch on 101 or alternatively, get in touch via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
