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The National
4 days ago
- The National
'His life was for others': Saudi student's family pay emotional visit to Cambridge street where he was killed
Propped delicately on the pavement inches from where Mohammed Alqassem was stabbed to death are more than a dozen bouquets left in tribute to the Saudi student. The 20-year-old's father and cousins have paid an emotional visit to the scene in Cambridge to read the messages from well-wishers and the local community, which includes Middle Eastern students still reeling from the attack so close to their homes. 'May your soul rest in peace,' reads one of the heartfelt messages, written in Arabic and English. Mr Alqassem, who was on a 10-week placement at a language school in the British university city, died last Friday night from stab wounds to his neck despite the efforts of passing doctors to save his life. A local man, Chas Corrigan, 21, has appeared in court charged with murder and will face trial next year. As they prepared to return to Saudi Arabia after arranging for Mr Alqassem's body to be repatriated, his family spoke to The National about their pride in his achievements, shock at his death and their concern over safety in the country. Abdulmalik Alqassem, his cousin, said: 'Mohammed was a very lovely person. He had a big smile and liked to make jokes.' He said Mohammed's generosity was a mark of his personality, and he had been keen to help out fellow students who came to the UK to study English. 'His life was for others. He was very kind. We say in Arabic 'the thing that is in his pocket is not his, it is for others',' he said. Everyone knows there's a lot of stabbings in London but I didn't know there were stabbings in Cambridge Esmat Zeineldin, student 'For Saudis who were coming to Cambridge, he started to help them out with the paperwork process regarding the college and make sure some of them are safe. He used to be a kind of mentor and look after people's safety. Mohammed was a friend to everyone.' The family were told by the Saudi embassy what happened but had been in disbelief that Mohammed had died. 'In the beginning we thought he was just in the emergency [room] even though the embassy said he had passed. We didn't believe he had died until we came here and confirmed he was dead and we saw him today. 'He was just a person who came here for 10 weeks but didn't come back – his friends are in grief – someone who was among us and has now suddenly disappeared.' The immediate family are from Makkah and Abdulmalik said his cousin 'served in the Holy Mosque for the whole of Ramadan, bringing iftar to the pilgrims'. He said the Alqassems are a large extended family throughout Saudi Arabia and he grew up close to his cousin. 'We played soccer all the time, we played volleyball, we went camping. Every Eid, we have a farm in Taif where we gathered and stayed there for one week.' The family's view of the UK as a safe country has inevitably been altered by Mohammed's death. This is also reflected in the opinions of Saudis on social media and 'unfortunately the view has shifted to Britain not being a safe country', Abdulmalik said. The same point was made by his uncle, who told The National he believed the UK is no longer safe for visitors and tourists. 'We hope this incident will prompt serious reflection on public safety and the protection of innocent lives,' said Majed Abalkhail. Redevelopment The street where Mohammed was stabbed is close to Cambridge train station in an area that has been redeveloped in recent years. Modern apartment blocks, which are home to international students and professionals, surround landscaped areas. Coffee shops and restaurants are nearby, while street food trucks are dotted throughout the area. At first glance the area is a picture of tranquility but people in the area have expressed fears about crime. Student Esmat Zeineldin, a 24-year-old student from Cairo, talked to The National while standing at the scene looking at the flowers. She and a friend had travelled to pay their condolences to Mr Alqassem. 'I used to always walk along this road late at night and I always felt safe. I don't think I'll ever walk here again past 9pm,' she said. Ms Zeineldin, who has just completed a master's degree in corporate law, said it was shocking that the stabbing had taken place in a city she had believed was safe. 'Everyone knows there's a lot of stabbings in London but I didn't know there were stabbings in Cambridge. They always claim that Cambridge is safe. I don't find it safe any more.' Her friend, 27-year-old British-Egyptian PhD student Basel Elgalmi, said the death of Mr Alqassem was 'devastating'. Carole Concha-Bell, 50, who lives nearby, said she was on her balcony when she heard a disturbance and went to the scene when Mr Alqassem had been stabbed. 'Me and my partner and a few other people ran out. We were the first people there. He was face down,' she said. Ms Concha-Bell said she was handed a phone to speak to the ambulance service and the operator asked if Mr Alqassem was still breathing. 'I was just screaming at them to hurry up. I was crying because he was very young,' she said.
Al Bawaba
04-08-2025
- Al Bawaba
Saudi student fatally stabbed in Cambridge; two arrested in shocking attack
ALBAWABA- A 20-year-old Saudi student, Mohammed Al-Qassem, was fatally stabbed in Cambridge late Friday night in what police are calling an unprovoked attack. The incident occurred near Mill Park, close to Cambridge train station, where Al-Qassem was participating in a ten-week academic training program. Emergency services were called to the scene at 11:27 p.m., but despite efforts by paramedics, Al-Qassem was pronounced dead just after midnight. The attack has stunned both the Saudi community and Arab diaspora in the UK, with tributes pouring in across social media. Flowers and handwritten messages were placed at the scene in his memory, one reading, 'May your soul be at peace. We are with God and we are with you.' Al-Qassem was enrolled at EF International Language Campus in Cambridge, which expressed deep sorrow over the loss, confirming he was one of their adult students. Also Read John Oliver: Gaza is being starved by Israel Cambridgeshire Police confirmed on Monday that Al-Qassem was stabbed in what appeared to be an unprovoked assault. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. Chas Corrigan, 21, of Holbrook Street, Cambridge, has been charged with murder and possession of a knife in a public place. He appeared at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Monday and is set to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. A second man, aged 50, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and remains in police custody. Investigations are ongoing.
Al Bawaba
04-08-2025
- Al Bawaba
Saudi student stabbed to death in the UK
Published August 4th, 2025 - 07:26 GMT ALBAWABA - A shocking incident took place in the United Kingdom, where a Saudi student was stabbed to death in Cambridge, Saudi media outlets said on Sunday evening. According to the media, the suspects in the stabbing attack that left a Saudi man killed were British citizens. One of the suspects in the stabbing case against the Saudi student is a 21-year-old man, who is believed to have committed the crime with the help of a second person, 51. In detail, the Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel said that "the murdered Saudi student, named Mohammed Al-Qasim, was a 20-year-old student studying in the UK. He was "stabbed in Britain on Friday following a fight sparked by a passerby." مراسل #الإخبارية من بريطانيا:- مقتل طالب سعودي تعرّض للطعن مساء الجمعة الماضية في حديقة جنوب مدينة كامبريدج- الشرطة البريطانية تلقي القبض على رجلين "21 و50 عامًا" للاشتباه بتورطهما في الحادث - التحقيقات لا تزال جارية لكشف ملابسات الجريمة — قناة الإخبارية (@alekhbariyatv) August 3, 2025 Al-Ekhbariya further mentioned "the Saudi student was stabbed in the neck last Friday evening in a park south of Cambridge, as he was returning to his residence at 11:30 a.m. He died about half an hour after the incident." The channel quoted its correspondent in Britain as saying that "British police have arrested two men, both British citizens aged 21 and 50, on suspicion of involvement in the incident. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the circumstances of the crime, and the third suspect remains at large." © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
