Family ‘emotionally broken’ after racially motivated attack

A Palestinian restaurant worker says he and his family are “emotionally broken” after being victims of a racist attack in their home and having to move 65 miles away.

Jamal – not his real name – has now lost his job in Belfast, where he has lived since 2019, because he was unable to get to work on time.

The 27-year-old was at work and his wife and one-month-old baby were at home when their house in east Belfast was attacked by three men shortly before midnight on Sunday.

Since the attack, which police are treating as a racially motivated hate crime, the family has moved to temporary emergency accommodation in Ballykelly, County Londonderry.

However, this means they are no longer able to have friends, work or attend doctor’s appointments.

Jamal told BBC News NI that the attackers tried to get into the house and told those present they had to “leave this place”.

Two men screamed and banged on the front door while a third jumped onto a plastic roof covering the back garden.

Although the PSNI described the damage as minor, Jamal reported that when he returned home he found his wife and baby hidden under a bed and that his wife had not slept since the attack.

In the early hours of Monday morning, Jamal and his family drove to a friend’s house where they spent the night.

“I couldn’t sleep in my house that night,” Jamal said.

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna told BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster she was “absolutely devastated” to hear of the attack.

“Just imagine what kind of person would jump on the roof. ‘Low life’ is probably the politest and most familiar thing I can say.

“We are in the pogrom area. Almost everyone with a different skin color feels vulnerable.”

Ms Hanna said the victims of the recent violence in Belfast “have built lives here and contribute far more to the community than the people behind the attacks”.

“I don’t think one or two people are (behind the attacks),” she added. “I think it’s an organizational thing.”

“I believe that this is at least being fueled and accelerated by paramilitary organizations.”

DUP MP Edwin Poots said there may be people with paramilitary links involved, but “they are not sent by any organisation”.

He called on those responsible for the attacks to stop.

“They are harming their own community, they are causing real trauma and that does not reflect our view as unionists.”

“This has to stop. It can’t go on like this.”

Naomi Green, a volunteer working with the Muslim community, added that many are considering leaving Northern Ireland.

“We’re at a point where people are weighing their options,” she said.

“This is my home, but it doesn’t feel safe anymore.

“Yes, there are housing problems. Yes, people have a hard time in their everyday lives. But that is no excuse to take out your anger on Muslims, minorities or migrants.”

“We are all part of this society.”

The day after the attack, Jamal spent hours at the housing authority hoping to find safe accommodation, but was told there was “no other option in all of Belfast.”

The housing authority, which provided the family with temporary accommodation, said it had been working under “unprecedented” circumstances.

A spokesman said: “The increase in demand for social housing and the increasing number of individuals and families who are homeless and in need of temporary accommodation is unprecedented in recent times.”

“We always ensure that operations of this kind are carried out as quickly as possible and that the site is checked daily.”

Jamal says not only has he lost his part-time job, but since the move, he and his wife have found it difficult to attend their baby’s hospital appointments in Belfast.

He told BBC News that his wife was “emotionally exhausted” and his daughter was constantly crying.

“I feel like I’m not safe. I felt the same way as I did in Palestine.”

“The problem is that I have to get up at 6 a.m. to get to appointments in Belfast,” said Jamal.

He told BBC News NI that he had to spend hundreds on taxi fares to attend various appointments for himself and his daughter.

“I paid £150 for a taxi to Ballykelly. It was night and there were no buses.”

“I’m scared because I’m a new father and I have a wife. I’m thinking about what will happen to my baby and my wife if something goes wrong.”

“I missed my daughter’s appointment on Monday. This is very difficult. My daughter is young. If something is wrong with her, I don’t know where to go.”

Jamal says he feels alone and scared in Ballykelly and like he has “lost everything”.

Sergeant Jackson of the PSNI said: “I am appealing directly to the local community for information on those involved.

“It is absolutely disgraceful that these men would attack a woman alone with her child and I know the people of East Belfast share my disgust.

“As police, we will do everything we can to ensure that all people, regardless of their origin, feel safe in their own four walls.”

Jamal hopes that he and his family will find somewhere to stay in Belfast. He says that he never had any problems in the city before the attacks.

“I had a good life,” he said.

“It’s a nice area. It’s quiet. I’ve never had any problems.”

In Ballykelly, however, Jamal feels cut off from his support network and friends.

“I have lived in Belfast all my life in the UK. All my friends are in Belfast.

“Belfast is my home.”