Manchester FRFI supporters spoke to two Kurdish refugees from Iran. Faraydun Abdullazada and Rahman Rasoulzada, who told us about a horrifying catalogue of racist attacks they have suffered and the total lack of response from the police.
July 2005 Faraydun was approached by 10 white people in Stoke-on-Trent city centre, asked ‘What are you doing here?’ and set upon as he tried to walk away. He was attacked with sticks and chased into a Chinese takeaway as the racists yelled, ‘come on motherfucker’ ‘bastard terrorist’ and so on. Faraydun called the police, who never came.
November 2007 The two men and their girlfriends were walking past a petrol station in Blackley, north Manchester when they were set upon by a gang. Faraydun was left with a broken rib and black eyes and couldn’t breathe properly for four weeks. The police came but refused to take a statement from the victims, arrest the perpetrators, who were still present, or look at CCTV evidence. They told Faraydun to ‘shut up’ when he tried to speak to them.
May 2009 Faraydun was attacked in a club in Manchester city centre, leaving him covered in blood. His phone was stolen as he called the police. An ambulance left the scene without treating him and the police did not take a statement or attempt to arrest the attacker. They said they ‘couldn’t get the CCTV’ footage and took Faraydun not to hospital but to a deserted street nearby, where they told him ‘bye-bye, go home’.
August 2009 Rahman was attacked in Northenden by two racists who broke his nose. The police were called, but neither attacker has been arrested. Eight months later, the police are ‘still investigating’.
February 2010 Attacks continued as five youths, his neighbours, attacked Faraydun with sticks and a frying pan outside his flat. They often kick the door and throw bottles at the house.
The police have totally failed to respond to this blatant racist harassment.
FRFI 214 April / May 2010
