Arabic version: عائلة ضحية هجوم الطعن تدعو إلى السلام بعد العنف

The family of Stephen Ogilvie, a knife attack victim in Northern Ireland, has called for calm as unrest escalates in the region. According to SBS News, the appeal comes after the incident triggered a wave of anti-immigrant violence, with masked men torching homes and vehicles.

Ogilvie, who is in his 40s and suffered significant injuries to his face and back, remains in a serious condition in a Belfast hospital and is understood to be in an induced coma. A Sudanese man, Hadi Alodid, has been charged with attempted murder and appeared in court, where he made no reply to the charges through an Arabic interpreter. The violent protests that erupted following the attack included assaults on police and the burning of several vehicles.

Political leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, condemned the violence, emphasizing that such actions against ethnic minorities are unacceptable. Starmer reiterated that driving people from their homes is not a solution, and all involved in the unrest will face the full force of the law.

As unrest continued, Northern Ireland’s police deployed an additional 200 officers to manage the situation. The attacks are not currently being classified as terrorism, but they have sparked a broader debate on immigration policies in the UK. Leaders from various political parties have expressed concerns about the implications of the incident on community relations and safety.

The family of the victim stressed the need for peaceful protest and urged against using this tragedy to sow division within the community. They highlighted the valuable contributions of migrants to society, calling for unity rather than hostility in response to the recent violence.