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A man who died outside a mosque has been named online in a statement.
Haji Rab Nawaz, 52, was killed after disorder broke out at the Jamiah Masjid and Institute in Foleshill, Coventry, on Sunday night.
Emergency services rushed to the scene of the fatal stabbing, but nothing could be done to save the victim. Another man, aged 44, suffered a small stab wound.
Two men, aged 27 and 56, were arrested on suspicion of murder following the brawl which erupted at around 9pm on Sunday (October 2). Detectives are continuing to question the pair, CoventryLive reports.
It is understood Mr Nawaz was from Handsworth, Birmingham.
Mohammed Nabeel Afzal Qadri, Head Imam at the Masjid, published a statement on Facebook condemning the violence, which he said had nothing to do with the mosque. He named the victim as Haji Rab Nawaz from Handsworth, who was said to be attending funeral prayers at the time of the incident.
Imam Qadri said: “It is with great sadness and distress I have to make this statement. Last night (October 2) during a funeral prayer at around 8.55pm a man by the name of Haji Rab Nawaz was viciously stabbed on Queen Marys Rd outside the mosque car park which consequently led to his death.
“He was rushed into the mosque for some sort of safety and sanctuary only for him to collapse inside the funeral area and breathe his final breaths. I speak on behalf of the mosque and local community who severely condemn this vile, despicable and callous act.
“Life of any individual is precious and sacred, For it to be lost in a moment in such a savage and brutal way is devastating. I request the local community to allow the police to carry out their investigation with ease and any person who may have witnessed the attack is urged to come forward.”
Det Supt Shaun Edwards, overseeing the investigation, previously said: “We’re supporting the family of the man who has died at what is a truly awful time for them, and our thoughts go out to them. We’ve made some really good early progress in this investigation, but there is still a lot of work to be done in identifying all of those involved in what happened last night.
“We don’t believe this is linked to any other incidents or disputes either in Coventry or the wider West Midlands and it appears to have been an isolated dispute which has ended in tragedy. We’ll continue to work flat out to bring all of those involved to justice.
“I’d urge anyone who was in the area at the time, who may have seen or recorded what happened on a mobile phone or dashcam to get in touch with us as soon as possible. Officers are speaking with residents and community leaders to offer reassurance, and patrols in the area will be stepped up.”
Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch with West Midlands Police, quoting log 3319 of 2 October. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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