LONDON: A Pakistan-born man who went viral after intervening in a knife attack in London’s busy theater district last week has called for unity following the recent far-right riots across the UK.
The violent unrest, which lasted for a week, erupted following a knife attack on children in Southport. False information quickly spread on social media, with the attacker identified as a Muslim asylum seeker.
“Everyone was concerned, scared. They were scared of going to the mosque. They were not able to do their religious obligations,” Abdullah told The Guardian on Sunday.
“Especially my friends who are living in Manchester and in the north, they were more concerned because there were more protests over there.”
Abdullah, 29, who only wished to give his first name, had moved to the UK from his home in Abbottabad to pursue a master’s degree in project management.
He unexpectedly found himself at the center of another shocking incident just days after the riots subsided.
In London’s Leicester Square, a 34-year-old mother and her 11-year-old daughter were attacked, leaving the child with serious stab wounds.
Abdullah, who was working as a security guard at a nearby tea shop, bravely tackled the 32-year-old attacker, who has since been charged with attempted murder.
Abdullah, who started working as a security guard in December 2023 after struggling to secure a job in project management, said he was concerned for local communities amid the far-right violence across England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
“First of all, in that (Southport) incident, it had nothing to do with Muslims, or it had nothing to do with the Pakistani or Asian community. If it’s an individual act, we should deal with it as an individual act, not as a whole community or as a religion,” he told The Guardian.
Abdullah also accused Tommy Robinson, a far-right leader, of spreading misinformation.
“He needs to be responsible for whatever he’s saying because he has so much (of a) following, it makes it a risk for me as well. It is a security risk for me.”
Since the incident, Abdullah has been widely praised for his bravery, including being recognized by the Pakistani High Commission. “They’re saying: ‘Well done Abdullah, hero of Leicester Square,’” he said.
“All of my relatives, friends are going to my home (in Pakistan) and meeting my parents, my siblings. It’s just like Eid, people are coming there and celebrating like: ‘Your son has made our whole country proud.’”
He added: “After the (Leicester Square) incident, it’s proved that we Muslims, we Pakistanis, we Asians are peaceful. We are here to save people.
“We are here to protect the English community, our own community. This is our country, we came here as a choice so we are protectors, not attackers.”
Abdullah hopes to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK and secure a job in project management. “I would love to stay in this country because I love this country.”
Conservative peer Aamer Sarfraz described Abdullah as a “real-life hero” whose “actions have single-handedly shut down the narrative of the far-right protesters.”
“His bravery also sheds light on the largely unsung workforce of security guards who protect us every day, without ever really being recognized,” Sarfraz added.
