A Rochdale imam has been found dead with a head injury.
Jalal Uddin, 56, was found in a children’s playground with a serious head injury on Thursday night. Paramedics and police attended the scene, but Uddin died in hospital.
According to the Guardian, it’s understood he’d been to ishaa prayers at the Jalali Jame mosque before visiting a friend for dinner, and that he was taking a shortcut through the playground on his way home.
A postmortem is due to take place later on Friday.
Det Supt Jon Chadwick of GMP’s serious crime division said: “A man has sadly died after being found injured by passing members of the public, and we are now doing all we can to try and identify who he is, so that we can speak with and support this man’s family.
“Our investigation is at an early stage but we are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area near to where he was found in Wardleworth last night, as we work to establish how this man came to suffer his head injury.”
A statement on the mosque’s website said: “It is with deep sadness we inform you that our dear Qari Jalal Uddin Saab passed away last night. The cause of his death is yet to be confirmed. We recommend that you do not speculate but rather wait for the facts to be established by the police.”
The chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, Mohammed Shafiq, said he was shocked at the news but urged the community of Rochdale to stay united and calm.
“We pay tribute to him and his unique contribution to our community in Rochdale,” Shafiq said. “We offer our sincere condolences and prayers to his family, friends and the wider community.
“We would urge all local mosques in Rochdale to consider emergency security precautions and facilities to help local people return home safely from the mosque. Furthermore mosques should also consider buddying various people together to ensure vulnerable people are supported.”
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