LAST UPDATE | 16 Feb

GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING after a Muslim cleric was allegedly assaulted in Tallaght last night.

Umar Al-Qadri, the chairperson of the Irish Muslim Council, said he was the victim of a “deliberate hate crime attack” in south Dublin, for which he was hospitalised.

He told The Journal that two men had scheduled a meeting with him.

“Upon arriving and coming out of the car, I was attacked from behind,” he said.

“I don’t remember anything after it until I was in my car driving seat disorientated, and an Irish lady and two men were helping me to recover and had called gardaí and an ambulance.”

Al-Qadri said he believes the attack was planned.

Detailing the incident further in a post on X, Al-Qadri said he received a call from a man claiming to have Irish and Pakistani heritage who asked him to officiate a marriage ceremony in Tallaght. 

Al-Qadri said after he made his way to the given address last night, he noticed an absence of cars, which he said “seemed odd for a wedding gathering”. 

“When I called the person, he instructed me to reverse the car and meet him outside a different house in the same street. Following his instructions, I encountered him and another man who both appeared fully Irish and spoke with Irish accents,” Al-Qadri said. 

“Upon opening the passenger door to collect the certificate, my memory becomes blank. The next memory I have is sitting in the driver’s seat of my car, feeling disoriented and confused about why I was there.”

Al-Qadri wrote on X last night: “Thankfully, there is no brain injury or broken jaw, but the left side of my face is severely swollen and my front teeth are damaged.”

“The next thing I remember is feeling disoriented in my car, surrounded by helpful Irish neighbours of the area I was visiting, as the gardaí and ambulance arrived,” said Al-Qadri.

“I was injured and had lost consciousness, but my mobile phone was still with me, allowing me to contact my friends who arrived within 15 minutes.”

He was taken to hospital where he is “doing alright” now, but he cannot eat solid food due to the damage to his face.

Al-Qadri thanked the Irish people who helped him.

“Having lived in Ireland for 21 years, this has never happened to me. This incident doesn’t change the fact that I deeply appreciate and cherish Ireland and its people.

“Is breá liom Éire.”

Gardaí say investigations are ongoing but the nature of the investigation has not yet been categorised. 

With reporting by Hayley Halpin