On November 30, a Muslim scholar in Britain Hafiz Salik was attacked by unknown assailants who pulled over his vehicle while he was driving with his family in the city of Hull. After requiring two operations on his right eye, his son Ateeq revealed that the 60-year-old imam will most likely never be able to see properly again. Hafiz Salik, who has been living in the UK for 30 years, is well-known not only to British Muslims but to other faith groups as well due to his extensive work to promote interfaith dialogue.
Four days later on December 3, a severed pig’s head was placed on a spike outside of the Madani Academy, an Islamic school in the city of Portsmouth. Incidents involving the placing of severed pig body parts at mosques and other Islamic institutions are becoming increasingly common as a way of insulting Muslims, due to the fact that pigs are considered unclean animals in Islam. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough Football Club confirmed that they have banned two fans for life after they tore up copies of the Qur’ān at the 2-2 draw with Birmingham city on December 7.