Three weeks ago, Abdullah, a Pakistani-born man living in the UK, was watching the news in fear.
Far-right riots had spread across the country, with mosques being attacked and hotels housing asylum seekers set alight. After a horrific knife attack on children in Southport, disinformation spread quickly on social media falsely claiming the perpetrator was a Muslim seeking asylum in the UK.
"Everyone was concerned, scared.
They were scared of going to the mosque. They were not able to do their religious obligations," said Abdullah, a security guard who lives in London.
Little did Abdullah know that just days after the riots had appeared to subside, he would be at the centre of another appalling story involving an attack on a child. But the 29-year-old was not to be a blame figure, rather one praised for his bravery.
The incident, in Leicester Square in London, involved a 34-year-old woman and her 11-year-old daughter, the latter taken to hospital with serious stab wounds. The pair were Australians who were visiting the city.
Abdullah, who was guarding the nearby TWG tea shop, tackled a 32-year-old man who has since been charged with attempted murder.
Abdullah moved to the UK to study for a master's degree in project management after growing up in Abbottabad, northern Pakistan, as the youngest of seven.
Esta historia es de la edición August 23, 2024 de The Guardian Weekly.
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