Scotland: Land of the free?

Date: 24th April '01

Name: Lion Rampant

Evening Times 24 April 2001

Refugees beaten by race hate mob

By John McCann

TWO Palestinian refugees are seriously ill in hospital after being attacked by a gang in Glasgow.

Brothers Haitham and Iyad Saada were injured in two attacks minutes apart in Sighthill, near the block of flats where Haitham lives alongside other asylum seekers.

Support groups today called on police to find the gang of teenage girls and young men they say acted like a "racist lynch mob".

The alarm was raised when a third brother, Ziad, left Haithams flat for his home at the YMCA in Springburn.

Family spokeswoman Sana Dabbagh said: "A man in the street told Ziad his brother had been attacked by a gang.

"He called Haitham to help him get his brother to the concierge, but the gang had doubled in size to about 40 people and they attacked again."

Ziad and Iyad said they were held back as Haitham, 39, was beaten with baseball bats and bottles, which caused severe head and facial injuries and broken ribs.

Iyad, 26, suffered serious facial injuries and blood poured from his right ear. He had recently had surgery on the ear and fears he may lose his hearing on that side.

The brothers are in the Royal Infirmary and staff today said their condition was "stable".

The family claims it took 15 minutes before a police patrol arrived to help the men to hospital.

Ms Dabbagh said Haitham and Ziad have young families and they now fear for their safety.

Ms Dabbagh, who runs the Campaign for Palestinian Human Rights, said the men fled the Lebanon with their young families after Haithams wife was killed in an Israeli attack on a Palestinian refugee settlement in South Lebanon.

She said: "It is unacceptable this can happen in Glasgow. These people have suffered too much already. The police have to act to help them."

A spokesman for the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees said: "We believe most people in Sighthill are as sickened by these assaults as we are. Refugees are not to blame for the lack of jobs, decent housing and community resources in Sighthill.

"Asylum seekers are among the most vulnerable people in our society, and should be welcomed into our communities.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack by the gang, all of whom are believed to have been aged 16-20. Anyone with information can contact the Crimestoppers line or Baird Street police office.

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