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'Find our son's killers': Plea by family of Arab student killed in race attack
Last updated at 23:57pm on 26.08.08
The father of a foreign student who died in a racist attack has demanded justice for his son.
Mohammed Al-Majed, 16, suffered serious head wounds after being set on in Hastings.
Police have admitted that 41 overseas students have been assaulted and 11 robbed in the East Sussex resort in the past three summers.
Victim: Mohammed Al-Majed was attacked outside a social club
Witnesses said Mohammed, from Qatar, was beaten and kicked by a gang of drunken thugs after leaving a social club with friends on Friday night.
The youngster fell, striking his head on the pavement and dying in hospital two days later.
Mohammed's father, Abdullah, said today: 'Justice has to be done in all this investigation.
'All of those involved in committing this crime should be punished for this crime on a young, innocent 16-year-old boy.
'Mohammed was a young student who was loved by his family, friends and teachers. He was a charming, loving boy and there is nothing that can replace our loss.'
Mr Al-Majed returned to his home in Doha tonight with his son's body.
It emerged today that police had been warned about the gang that assaulted Mohammed an hour before the fatal attack.
Unprovoked assault: The attack happened at the popular seaside resort of Hastings
Fellow foreign students leave messages of sympathy at the spot where Mohammed was kicked to death
Remzi Tanriverdi, who owns a fast-food outlet yards from where the attack happened, said he was so suspicious of the group's behaviour-that he had asked officers to keep an eye on them.
Mohammed, who had four brothers and a sister, was a student at EF International Language Schools.
Some 50,000 students visit Hastings each year to improve their English and learn about British culture.
Police said they had held regular meetings with teaching staff in the town in an effort to reduce the volume of attacks.
Inspector Martin Mann, of Sussex Police, said: 'Crime against foreign students has been particularly low this year, compared to previous years.
'In the last two weeks we have had three reported assaults on foreign students, which is down from last year.' But foreign students in Hastings today said many were now too scared to stray outdoors.
Shocked: Remzi Tanriverdi owns the kebab shop yards from where Mohammed was beaten and left for dead
Ahmed Othman, 16, from Libya, said he would tell other students to stay away.
'Everyone is scared,' he added.
'The foreign students I have spoken too think it's just too dangerous.
'At night there are lots of fights. I thought England was a safe and a very nice place. But some people drink too much here and just make trouble.
'During the attack they called him Saddam Hussain and Osama Bin Laden. I would definitely tell others not to come here. I was meant to stay for three months, but my parents now want me to return home straight away.'
Police said they are treating Mohammed's death as racially motivated.
A post-mortem examination found that he died from head injuries.
Three Hastings men, two aged 18 and one 20, and a youth aged 17, have been interviewed by police and bailed pending further inquiries.
Educational establishments in Qatar are warning pupils going to England of the dangers of our yob culture.
Reader views (18)
There are several desolate Islands in the South Atlantic where these cretins can be housed at very low cost. They can be made to do menial work for long hellish sentences. Release a few to spread the word back in the UK that doing this sort of crime just does not pay. Nu Labor has been soft on crime, soft on the causes of crime.
- James, New Malden, Surrey
The lack of education in all of the above comments staggers me.
I despise this government as much as anyone but what exactly are they supposed to do? This is a deep rooted social problem that will take generations to fix. Look beyond all the easy answers and see that this is all down to the break up of the family, the destruction of communities, the lack of identity in this country and worse of all, our sick, immoral Big Brother watching, Heat magazine reading, footballer worshipping way of life.
The majority of replies are championing draconian ways to deal with this. What, you mean like in the USA where they have the death penalty and 337 year sentences, life without parole, three strikes and your out...that hasn't solved their crime problem has it.
As someone who has had many dealings with the police i can tell you that they are not always softly softly.
Think about it. Shouting 'HANG EM', 'THROW AWAY THE KEY' is not going to change nothing.
- Lb, London
These quiet lads were set upon by Chavs who having a Dalek mentality saw them as non chav and ripe for attack.
I wish Christians/Moslems & Jews would stop fighting each other and instead concentrate on upholding the values of their prophets and unite against this growing amoral culture.
- Gordon, UK
Perhaps we can do a trade for the sadistic murderer Yemen are refusing to hand over to the British authorities.
- Clare, London
Another young life taken. For what? Just because he was Arab? And the suspects are out on bail? What a joke. My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this tough and difficult time. He came to learn english and learn British culture. What culture? Oh you mean the booze binge's and pointless violence? The kids running around like they own the streets and being wanna be gangsters. Once upon a time the UK had great culture-now anyone who looks at the UK see's a very violent place. I agree with Michael, zero tolerance, curfews in place so we can get rid of this scum on our streets.
Mr Brown and 'New Labour' I hope you are reading this-because this country has gone down the toilet and I feel there is no way it can be saved-unless authorities REALLY toughen up and stop using the softly softly approach.
- Yasmin, London, England
Bailed For A racially motivated Murder the rest of the world looks at us in shock as the gutter press government try to protect the thugs whose views are fuelled by the governments own propaganda.
Racially motivated murders deserve a greater degree of punishment as the reason is psychotic and anyone who commits one is a further danger to the community (i.e. there is a good chance they will do it again). To put this in easy terms for you most murders have a reason of some sort IE the person cheated on them robbed them of something or some opportunity. Even financially motivated murders killing your partner spousal or business in order to gain joint income or a joint business deserve greater leniency. You are unlikely to do kill again especially if you are caught but if you release someone who is psychotic enough to kill someone just because their skin colour is different you should probably be put to sleep for the greater good of the community and this goes for all racially motivated murders Black on White etc all racially motivated murder are attempted genocide! (Think about it!) do you want genocidal maniacs running around. Do you want ethnic cleansing in England? If you do seriously think about taking a lot of sleeping pills!
- Valiant Patrick Dickson, Bournemouth, England
Ben, your comment highlights the problem perfectly.
Why shouldn't people be able to go out and have some fun with out fear of attack?
- Stuart, UK Luton
I think what happened is wrong, but surely common sense and street savvy comes into it. Hastings is so rough and unwelcoming day or night. To be out on the streets after dark on a Bank Holiday weekend is asking for trouble.
It's only a matter of time before the world figures out that the UK has become a no-go destination. Can you imagine the carnage when the 2012 Games begin!?
- Ben Farrell, London
Unfortunately, although this is obviously at the extreme end of the spectrum, I don't think many local people will be surprised that this has happened.
A friend of mine once worked at the language school in Hastings, teaching English as a Foreign Language. He occasionally organised social events for the students but hated going out in the evening with them because, to his eternal shame, they were regularly abused in the street by groups of bored teenagers, picking them out for the crime of being obviously foreign.
Sadly despite the wonderful experiences that many visiting students have in Hastings and elsewhere, I am sure that many at these schools experience the rather negative side of being a foreign visitor to this country.
- Karen, Barnet
'50,000 students study English in Hastings each year'. I wonder how that compares to the actual population of Hastings ? No wonder there's racial tension.
- Squiz, Islington
The English can end this spiral into social decay overnight if we make sure that anyone, regardless of age, race or creed understands that if they behave like a barbarian from the middle ages and kick to death a fellow human in a public street then their lives are over, either literally or made into a living hell. If you behave like a barbarian then society must do away with its liberal pampering views (because once society is broken they simply don't work) and punich those in a draconian way so that we may once more become civilized.
- Anthony, Bournemouth
Why is it being classed as a racist killing ?
- P I Staker, London
Yet again the police seem to be acting on instructions to be soft on criminals. If it is a murder enquiry why were those arrested bailed?
- Patrick Griffin, Dalston, London
Please tell me when the Government are going to get off their backsides and do something about these mindless acts of violence. How many more people will die before they do something? They obviously know who these louts are - now do something. As an ex-pat I will never return to Britain - seems it's becoming more and more lawless. No wonder ordinary decent people are moving to other countries to live their lives without problem.
- Barbara, Sydney, Australia
What a horrible lesson learnt in what Britain is becoming. Another young life lost for no reason. My condolences to the family and friend. A very sad loss.
- Smb, London, UK
Given the relentless Xenophobia that has been directed towards Middle-Easterners for the last ten years by Blair's propaganda outlets, it's hardly surprising that the brainwashed louts let loose their uncontrollable anger in this violent manner. PM Brown should use this opportunity to tell the people of Britain that hate crimes against Muslims are equally as bad as those against any other minority group. Islam is a peaceful religion and for an innocent follower of an innocent religion to be slaughtered in this manner is beyond reprehensible.
- Nigel Bonny, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Come to the UK, learn our custom of getting drunk, our tradition of beating innocent teenagers up. We should round these scum bags up and hang them. Until we start fighting fire with fire, we're losing all the battles against the lowest form of human being walking the UK today.
- Tony Sharp, London, UK
Jamie Oliver has been taken to task recently over his remarks that the British are greedy binge drinkers. If the report by the owner of the Kebab shop is right it makes me ashamed to be British. The owner spoke to the Police and then they left.
Lets move quickly to the US law of no drinking on the streets. Forget the brown paper bags. Zero tolerance.
There's just one snag. Our "great" British Bobby. Either their gutlessness or the lack of numbers.
- Michael, brightlingsea england
