Muslim surgeon who treated terror victims 'forgives' man who stabbed in the neck in suspected hate crime attack

A surgeon who treated victims of the Manchester bombing has said he forgives a man who stabbed him in the neck outside a mosque in a suspected hate crime attack.

Consultant Nasser Kurdy, who operated on people in the wake of the Manchester Arena terror attack, was stabbed from behind as he walked into Altrincham Islamic Centre in Hale just before 6pm on Sunday.

The 58-year-old suffered a three centimetre wound to the back of his neck and was rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital for treatment, where he works as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon.

On Monday the father of three, from a Syrian Jordanian family, was preparing to go back to work to treat his patients as the police investigation continued.

He said: "God was merciful to me yesterday. It could be a nerve, an artery, a vein, the gullet. The neck is the contact between the body and your head, but fortunately it was just the muscle.

"As I entered the grounds of the premises, I felt that pain and the blow to my neck. I turned around and saw this gentleman in a threatening pose. I did feel threatened, I did feel vulnerable."

He rushed inside and, fearing the attacker may follow, grabbed a chair and dashed outside, but his attacker had fled.

Police later made two arrests and said they were treating the incident as a hate crime.

Mr Kurdy, who came to Britain to study medicine in 1977, had been going to the Islamic Centre for mid-afternoon prayers and a committee meeting, where he is a lay imam and sometimes gives sermons.

He said he was in "no doubt" he was attacked because he was entering the Islamic Centre but added he feels no anger towards the suspect.

"He is not representative of what this country stands for. I have absolutely no anger or hate or anything negative towards him. I have declared it, I have totally forgiven him," he said.

But Mr Kurdy said he felt hate crimes against Muslims were escalating on the back of terror incidents including the Arena bombing and the Parsons Green tube attack.

"The climate is very threatening, very worrying. There needs to be acknowledgement that hate crimes against Muslims are on the increase and they are becoming more physical.

"It's not just someone saying something verbally, or somebody pulling a headscarf or what have you, it is now taking that extra step and I think that extra step is what has started worrying and frightening people. There are very senseless acts of insanity taking place, which can only fuel anger and hate.

"We can't hide away from what happened in Manchester, what happened around the country and the recent Tube incident. That will fuel hatred and anger. People need to know there are Muslims like myself. I've worked hard, I'm a surgeon, I treat people. I have a wonderful community. My colleagues at work respect me and value my contribution.

"I don't think I can see anybody more integrated than I am. I get invited to sit on services in the synagogue, service on Remembrance Sunday, I'm always in the church at All Saints. I'm sure people don't get to see that, all they get to see is those crackpots."

Mr Kurdy said Muslims at the Islamic Centre were now frightened and security will be reviewed.

Greater Manchester Police said two men, aged 32 and 54, were arrested within an hour of the attack. The force is treating the matter as a hate crime but not terrorism related.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said: "This is a very nasty and unprovoked attack against a much-loved local man."