A man who died outside mosque was mentioned online in a statement.
Haji Rab Nawaz, 52, was killed Sunday night after a disorder broke out at the Jamiah Masjid and Institute in Foleshill, Coventry.
Emergency services rushed to the scene of the fatal stabbing, but were unable to do anything to save the victim. Another man, 44 years old, suffered a minor stab wound.
Two men aged 27 and 56 were arrested on suspicion of murder after the brawl which erupted on Sunday (October 2) around 9 p.m. Detectives continue to question the couple, CoventryLive reports.
It is known that Mr Nawaz was from Handsworth, Birmingham.
Mohammed Nabeel Afzal Qadri, the mosque’s chief imam, published a statement on Facebook condemning the violence, which he said had nothing to do with the mosque. He named the victim Haji Rab Nawaz of Handsworth, who was attending funeral prayers at the time of the incident.
Imam Qadri said: “It is with great sadness and sorrow that I have to make this statement. Last night (October 2) during a funeral prayer at approximately 8:55 PM, a man named Haji Rab Nawaz was brutally stabbed on Queen Marys Rd outside the mosque’s parking lot, subsequently leading to his death.
“He was rushed into the mosque for some sort of safety and sanctuary, only to collapse in the burial chamber and breathe his last. I speak on behalf of the mosque and the local community who strongly condemn this despicable, despicable and heartless act.
“The life of every individual is precious and sacred as it is devastating to be lost in such a savage and brutal way in a moment. I request the local community to allow the police to carry out the investigation with ease and anyone who witnessed the attack is urged to come forward.”
Det Supt Shaun Edwards, who oversaw the investigation, previously said: “We support the family of the man who passed away at a truly terrible time for them, and our thoughts go out to them. We have made very good progress with this investigation to begin with, but much work remains to be done to identify all those involved in what happened last night.
“We do not believe this is related to any other incident or dispute in Coventry or the wider West Midlands and it seems to have been an isolated dispute that ended in tragedy. We will continue to do everything we can to bring all involved to justice.
“I would urge anyone who was in the area at the time who may have seen or recorded what happened on a cell phone or dashcam to contact us as soon as possible. Officers are speaking to residents and community leaders to provide reassurance, and patrols in the area will be stepped up.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police, quoting log 3319 dated 2 October. Alternatively, information may be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.