Mohammed Al Majed, 16 years old, who was visiting the UK from Qatar to learn English, was attacked and beaten to death in Hastings, England, "for looking and sounding different"
Categories: International, Cultures, Human Rights, Politics, Conflict, news
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:50 PM on 25th August 2008
Wealthy Arab student, 16, dies after race attack by gang of thugs in seaside town
Murdered: Mohammed Al Majed
A foreign student aged 16 was killed by a mob of drunken racist thugs in a sickening seaside attack outside a kebab shop.
Mohammed Al Majed, who was visiting the UK from Qatar to learn English died last night in hospital from severe head injuries two days after the savage gang beating in Hastings, East Sussex.
Mohammed - described by friends as ‘like a brother to everyone’ - is believed to be the son of a wealthy family in the oil-rich Gulf state.
He and his group were set upon - apparently for looking and sounding different - as they left a social club for foreign students shortly before midnight on Friday night.
The youngsters were beaten, kicked and pelted with glass bottles by the baying mob, who stamped repeatedly on Mohammed’s head before leaving him for dead and launching further assaults on his terrified pals.
Police are probing Mohammed’s death as a racially motivated murder.
Three men aged 17, 18 and 20 have been arrested and quizzed over the attack. The trio were later bailed.
Mohammed had been socialising at club run from the USA Fried Chicken and Kebab House.
At the back of the shop there is a large licensed bar area with pool tables, arcade machines and couches, which is used as a regular hangout by foreign students who study English each summer at the nearby EF Languages School.
Owner Remzi Tanriverdi, 43 said trouble started after a pair of local thugs aged between 19 and 22, who are well known to Mr Tanriverdi as regular troublemakers, turned up at the kebab shop and started drinking cans of lager at the picnic benches outside.
Murder hunt: The attack happened at the popular seaside resort of Hastings
They were soon joined by two more hoodie-wearing louts and two girls, all of whom were guzzling beer and bottles of alcopop.
Dr Tanriverdi, a doctor of political science with two degrees who moved to England from Turkey five years ago, asked them to leave but they refused and hurled abuse at him.
The former National Project Co-ordinator for the UN in Turkey said: ‘As soon as I saw them, I knew those boys would cause trouble. Whenever they turn up, trouble soon follows.
‘After I asked them to leave, I noticed a police car pull up outside, so I went over and spoke to the officers. I asked them to keep an eye on the boys, and they said they would - then left.
‘Less than an hour later, Mohammed - who was like a brother to everyone here - had been beaten to death by those boys.
‘It’s so sad, there are no words that can describe the horror of what happened - and for nothing. The attack was completely unprovoked and without reason.’
Dr Tanriverdi - known to the Arabic students as Uncle Remzi - has himself been physically attacked more than 25 times since he bought the kebab shop in 2005.
He added: ‘Those boys would never hurt a fly. They come from a culture where this sort of thing does not happen.
‘This incident will be disastrous for Britain’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates.
Shocked: Remzi Tanriverdi owns the kebab shop outside which Mohammed was beaten and left for dead
'What parent will want to send their children here for the summer when they know things like this are happening?’
A Sussex Police spokesman said today: ‘Police are currently treating his death as a murder inquiry, and are investigating it as racially motivated at this time.’
CI Natalie Carron, from East Sussex Division, added: ‘The young man had spent about five weeks in Hastings and was due to return home next weekend. His death is incredibly sad.
‘We will have a uniformed presence in the area to reassure people and will continue to work with the language schools to address any issues.
'Enormous numbers of foreign students come to Hastings and Rother each summer, in the region of 30,000 to 50,000.
‘The problems and issues they are involved in are very few in comparison to these large numbers.
‘Not withstanding this, no matter how rare an incident like this is, the effect on the young man’s family and tragic consequences can only be imagined.’
'We will have a uniformed presence in the area to reassure people and will continue to work with the language schools to address any issues.
Hastings attracts up to 50,000 foreign students to its English summer schools each year.
'The problems and issues they are involved in are very few in comparison to these large numbers,' said Ms Carron.
'Notwithstanding this, no matter how rare an incident like this is, the effect on the young man's family and tragic consequences can only be imagined.'
Article: HERE
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This is a horrible tragedy, and sincere best wishes go to his family. Hopefully the murderers are caught soon; sounds like they have bothered many people in that area.
All of Britain, and the rest of the world, condemns such atrocities. May this young man rest in peace, and may we all find common ground and stand against any group that would hurt innocent people for any reason.
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‘This incident will be disastrous for Britain’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates'
eerhm qatar ? or uae?
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I am not sure why they did not mention both, dijoux, but if I were guessing I would say it is because so many British citizens are living and working in the UAE.
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Poor little one..i hate the ignorance attitude from British citizens..a young boy killed in cold blood..then releasing the gang just like that and the police man telling we have to be clear wither he fell or what..oh really?where were you when the guy called you and warned you about the gang..i hope this will happen to his boy so then he will understand and feel what does it feel to loose ur own child in a tragedy like that
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I agree that horrible racist attitudes on the part of anyone are deplorable and must be stopped. Not all British citizens are racist; please read the comment below from Lucy...
I agree that the police officers did not do enough, but I would not wish for another tragedy to happen to their children.
I am not sure what you are referring to; is there another article somewhere that says the criminal suspects were released and police thought he fell? I have not seen anything like that... is there a link to an article?
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Letting the criminals walk out on bails confirms and encourages the continuity of the killing game by young bail. No wonder we hear new murdering stories everyday !!!
Those thugs would not have been out of jail if the murdered person was not an arab !!!
At the same time, i would blame the racist government for spreading this racism disease to its people, which sometime lead to negative behavior against x y ,,,,
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There may be a misunderstanding of the justice system, in that many people who are accused of a crime are able to go free on bail pending their trial. It really was not due to the race of the victim.
The question is whether those accused of the crime are considered a further danger or a flight risk (but I am not very familiar with the British legal system). It does seem surprising that the accused have been released on bail, because of the viciousness of the crime....
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I cant believe the people who did this are out on bail!
I live in Hastings and I work for a language school. The violence here is getting worse and worse not just for students but Hastings residents too. The police seem powerless to stop it! This town and its people are wonderful, it's just a few yobs who are spoiling it for everyone else.
We need to stop talking about getting tough on these people and actually do it. There should be much tougher sentences for these crimes in prisons which arent like holiday camps. I think we should also bring back conscription. If these boys have nothing better to do than wander the streets looking for people to attack lets give them something to do that will introduce some disipline into their lives and make them do something worthwhile for their country.
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I have been reading about the rising violence and knife crimes in Britain and I sincerely hope that something stops this tide. I cannot tell if what is in the media is the feeling of the people in Britain; it seems from the outside that it is squarely centered in some angry youths attacking one another for a variety of reasons, not just race. I remember the young actor from Harry Potter who was stabbed in a pub, and I don't remember there was a particular motive.
There are many wonderful and kind people in Britain, and I truly hope that these crimes do not come to represent the whole country and its people in the minds and opinions of others. That being said, it is also extremely important to talk about it when it does happen and stop those who have committed crimes and might be motivated to hurt people again.
Hastings is beautiful, Lucy; I am sure it is really interesting to work in the language school!
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i have been to this city 25 years ago and i witnessed the same violence and racism and i wonder how come nothing has been done to stop it !
we as arabs want a swift justice and unified reaction from the arab states.
also, i would suggest not to send young boys or girls to UK to study english due to the racist acts by the british young people.
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As Lucy said above, there are many people who want this violence stopped. It is very sad that you witnessed that 25 years ago as well... I think efforts on the part of concerned citizens from the Arab states and Britain may help! A team/community united effort of people coming together and working with one another to stop this madness on the part of the few who bully many. Maybe it could change things?
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i knew this guy by myself he was a good and funny guy i can't imagine that he was killed that's not fair i hope the boys who killed him will be punished and killed to don't let anuone do the same like them just let's pray for him to be in the paradise
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I am sorry for the loss of your friend, Abdullah. This is a very tragic event, and I hope he is at peace too.
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Shame shame.....I grew up in Kenya with british education and studied further education in Canterbury and London. The thing is, racism in non-capital city in England is downright disgusting, especially if it is from young people. what i dont understand is why young teens are getting worse. is it due to government policies? education? or just national characteristics? and why do police always stand on offenders' side? My room was robbed while i was out working part-time in London, and there was nothing the police could do despite the fact that they knew my room-mate (cocaine addict teen whore) was responsible for the robbery. Well... currently i am living in Korea and it is painful to see England get worse by every year because i loved the country. And really, these heinous incidents grotto stop! Harsher punishments, less financial support so that they will actually need to get a job! and more education on morality! more police forces patrolling! stricter and fairer law applications! Well...UK got Olympics for London claiming that it is 'multi-cultural nation' and that it is a model case for harmonious global society. then it should really be responsible as a 'true multi-cultural nation'. at least before 2012 before the entire nation loss face and become global laughing stock.
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You raise some interesting questions, though I do not think it is a national characteristic of Britain any more than it is something that does happen in all countries against all nationalities, both genders, all backgrounds, religions, etc. It is something we have to examine and stand against in all human societies.
Lots of food for thought... many things to discuss too... let us hope some good comes out of this incident, in that people think more and work to protect everyone. I hope that we judge everyone on their merits, including all of the British people who are not like those who committed this crime. There are many wonderful British people, and many wonderful people in other areas where heinous crimes and racism happen. I hope people become more sensitive and aware because of crimes like this, and work to make sure this does not happen again to anyone else...
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Why do people in the UK act like that ?!!!!
I can't understand the reason.
I'm a Qatari student lived in the UK for two years and unfortunately will for the coming tow tear till I finish my degree.
I will not talk about a specific city because I have been in lots of different places where I'v been attacked verbally by local British people.
People are not friendly at all and they keep staring to make you feel uncomfortable.
People there need to be educated. they need to see and recognize the deference between terrorists, immigrants, and students.
Action toward these british racists or I prefer to call them terrorists need to be to the max limit!!!
If someone in the Arab word did this the echo of this incidence will be stronger and the criminals or let say the suspicious people's photos will be on the BBC and in the jail for an unknown period of time.
When the actual criminals in this case are free.
Is this what the UK government call justice ?
Is it just because they are local British !!!!!
Race in the UK is beyond the limit.
I hope to finish my studies soon and get out of this country. + I will not let any of my family members to experience what I had experienced. You will never understand how bad it feels when people makes you feel that you are not welcome all the time. ='(
Don't tell me the white clothe, if this the reason sorry ,but people there are stupid. It is you the british people don't blame the white clothes.
In my country there are lots of British people who are extremely happy by the life the government and locals provide, and guess what they never think to come back to the UK again. I see them with T-shirts and jeans and I recognize if they where Americans or british, does this excuse my action if did something wrong them ?????!!!!
P.S It is not just me, lots of my friend face the same race issues in the UK.
IT IS SERIOUS !
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I believe you, Sara, and I think that is awful. As I said above, do you think efforts on the part of concerned citizens from the Arab states and Britain may help? A team/community united effort for awareness to show that most people on both sides are not intending to harm anyone and are good people who want the same things in life?
I know there is a lot of prejudice out there, and it can be extremely frightening and disturbing to face it.
You said: "People there need to be educated. they need to see and recognize the deference between terrorists, immigrants, and students."
That is true, and more efforts need to be made on both sides to change these views.
Would you like to write more about your experiences, and we could put it in Luciole Press in an effort to have more understanding and awareness?
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Can you explain this? I am not sure what you mean:
"Don't tell me the white clothe, if this the reason sorry ,but people there are stupid. It is you the british people don't blame the white clothes."
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it sure is a shame to lose such a boy at such a young age.
I was shocked and surprised to read that the gang was released on bail, and further more the injury has been attributed to a FALL while he was trying to avoid the fight.
source:
http://www.24dash.com/news/Communities/2008-08-26-Hastings-race-attack-victim-died-from-serious-head-injury
I thank you for giving us the chance to express our feelings and keeping an open mind about it. I do agree with Sara about the fact that had this been the other way around and a british boy was killed in a race-hate crime in an Arab country it would have had a larger impact and the arab country would've been turned upside down to find the killers and have them trialed immediately.
I've never been to UK, but almost 80% of Qataries (including my mom and grandma) have been there either for medical treatment, studying or vacationing over the last 50 years or so, and i used to believe that britains are used to and welcome them, up untill now.However, i refuse to generalize that ALL britains are racists. I'd hate to say that as much as i hate all generalizations and stereotypes about Arabs.
I do like the idea of forming a community united efforts to raise awareness about the issue and bring the cultures closer and overcome stereotypes, despite this unfortunate incident.
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Thank you for your comments and the links, Najla. I will read those...
I am glad for us all to have an opportunity to speak about these things, and the feelings we have, so that we can make sure we do not lose a vital connection between people of all cultures and countries who do not want bad things to happen. I think many people have been scared by the rising violence that affect people on both sides, and if there is not enough to show us how much we are all alike or have in common, it becomes easier to be scared or angry and think "the other side" is all bad...
I am very glad you do not wish to generalize either. The stereotypes and generalizations are damaging if one believes in them, for any group... I believe there are many good people and a few who hurt good people for a variety of reasons, which I hope that we could turn the tide on with a community united effort! How should we go about it, Najla?
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another source:
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=August2008&file=Local_News2008083153545.xml
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UK says sorry over Qatar student's killing!!!!!!!!
only this that they can do?????
without punishable the Criminals!!
frankly.. there is no justice..
Many of students change there place from britian ,because there is no safty and there are many tipsys and Crimes..
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These disastrous events would make the foreigners to think twice before they study in UK cities and would prefer to go to USA , Australia , New Zealand and even to India to study English language , if the British courts didnt punish those yob gangs and completely stop them and the alike by :
1- Punish those yob monsters severely , and that to be executed for killing an innocent person ( eye for an eye ) .
2- Alcohols and spirits are prohibited .
3- Secure garrantees and reassurances for the foreigners .
4- Change the old laws and regulations that let the killers to go beyound them .
5- Puplish this punishment to be an example for the other monsters .
I hope my advise could help for benefit of United Kingdom .
Regards .
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i've always said to my friends come study in The United States. awsome people. but in some states they're not LoL
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Thank you for your comment abdulaziz!
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