Muslim boy, 12, attacked by racists as he played football

Local paper the Southend Echo reports on a racist assault on a 12 year old Muslim boy in the town of Laindon last Monday evening.

The young boy, Ubaid Khan, was out playing football when the ball rolled away and he ran to retrieve it. He was met by two men who verbally abused him before smacking him about leaving him with a cut lip and a bruised, swollen face.

The boy’s father, Khubaid Khan, told the local paper: “My son was attacked by two men, who gave him a good smacking.

“He was playing football when the ball went out of the game and he ran to get it.

“These two men started shouting abuse at him, then they attacked him, leaving him with a cut lip and swollen face.

“For two men to do this to a young boy is unthinkable.

“He has been left very shaken and now he does not want to play out anymore.”

Mr Khan added, “I feel like I don’t want to let my son play out now. It’s worrying.”

The assault on the young boy comes days after a group of Christians of Asian ethnicity were set upon by a thug who asked them if they “belonged to Isis or a terrorist group, before being slapped and punched”, according to the paper.

Inspector Neil Carman, from Basildon Neighbourhood Policing Team said: We have carried out a community impact assessment, officers will be on targeted patrols and we will be seeking information from the local community.

“We also have teams who will be liaising with groups within the local community.

“Any incident of this nature is unacceptable.”

Incidents of anti-Muslim hate crime, affecting both Muslims and those perceived to be Muslims, have been documented recently including the incident of a young Muslim female abused in Bristol city centre and Sikhs who have been mistaken for Muslims.