SHABAZ Ali, the Syrian refugee living in Edinburgh who was stabbed in the early hours of Thursday morning, has woken up and is speaking to family members, the National understands.
The 25-year-old, who works as a barber in Portobello, was knifed in a seemingly racist attack at the hostel where he’d been temporarily housed by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Ali’s dad, Sivan, was on the phone to his son when he was attacked. He says the assailants shouted “Why are you still here, why are you not back in your own country?” as they struck.
News of the brutal assault has stunned Scotland.
In the last 48 hours, Ali’s family have been inundated with offers of help, and hundreds of people have already donated to a crowdfunding campaign.
Campaigners have organised a protest against the attack to take place in Edinburgh on Thursday
Ali, who arrived in Scotland five years ago, was staying in the hostel, waiting for accommodation. His female cousin was also living in the Upper Gilmore Street building, occupying a room just two doors down.
The Syrian was seemingly trying to protect his cousin from a group of two men and two women, when he was stabbed twice in the side and four times on his chest.
According to his father, Ali had been concerned about the lack of security in the Upper Gilmore Street building saying anyone was able to come in, and that it had often became a hotspot for trouble makers.
Sivan is angry with the council. He says that in the week before the attack, his son had complained to the local authority, saying the Fountainbridge hostel was not safe.
He also said the hostel’s security man walked away from the confrontation, and did not phone police an ambulance after Ali had been stabbed.
The council told The National that they had no record of any complaint.
But Robina Qureshi from Positive Action in Housing said this wasn’t surprising and was typical of how local authorities deal with refugees.
“They won’t have a record if there’s been a verbal complaint, particularly when someone’s first language isn’t English. And when that refugee is busy trying to survive, get a job and stay in a job, then they’re not going to have time to wait in a council housing department or write a letter.
“I think they have complained and they haven’t been listened to and nobody’s forwarded that complaint on.”
Qureshi has set up a crowdfunding page for Ali, to help him “recover and rebuild his life”.
The group will pass every penny on to the family.
She said the fundraiser is also about showing that Scotland says no to racism.
“If we don’t stand up and say this is wrong and call it out then this will be allowed to happen again, and we will accept it as a society,” she said.
Qureshi called on the council, as a matter of urgency, to arrange for Ali to be accommodated “in a safe place where he’s not going to be feeling vulnerable”.
Stand Up To Racism’s demonstration on Thursday will take place in Edinburgh’s Tollcross at 5.30pm.
Organisers said they wanted to call “a unity protest against this racist attack and to say refugees and migrants are welcome here.”
You can donate to Ali’s crowdfunder at https://mydonate.bt.com/events/saynotoracism/464056
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