LONDON — (CNN) The imam of a Muslim center in London has been praised for his “bravery and courage” in stopping an angry crowd turning on the driver involved in a van attack.
One person died and eight people were wounded, two seriously, after the vehicle rammed into people leaving Ramadan prayers in Finsbury Park, north London, in the early hours of Monday morning.
Imam Mohammed Mahmoud, of the Muslim Welfare House, has been hailed a hero for stepping in to protect the suspected attacker, a 48-year-old man, telling the furious mob: “Do not touch him.”
Eyewitnesses have told CNN that they saw a group of bystanders drag the driver out of the white van, pin him to the ground and hit him.
Toufik Kacimi, CEO of the Muslim Welfare House, a community center and mosque near the scene, told CNN that the imam “went quickly and grabbed the guy because the people there were trying to hit and kick the guy, but he saved him, and kept him safe until the police arrived.”
Witness Hussain Ali, 28, told the Press Association that “the leader of the mosque said ‘You do not touch him’. He was sitting and holding him like that, people kept holding him.”
[van id=”world/2017/06/19/seven-sisters-road-london-incident-erm-orig.cnn”]
Mahmoud’s actions in shielding the driver are said to have quietened a potentially dangerous situation, and helped save lives.
In a statement, Kacimi added: “I would like to particularly thank our imam … whose bravery and courage helped calm the immediate situation after the incident and prevented further injuries and potential loss of life.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told Sky News that the imam’s actions in “calming things down” were “what I’d expect from a good faith leader, from a good Muslim leader.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, told reporters at Scotland Yard he wanted to praise the members of the public who helped in the immediate aftermath: “Their restraint in the circumstances is commendable.”
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