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Dr Zohaib Arshad, a business owner in Falkirk, has recounted a distressing encounter in which he was subjected to racist abuse followed by physical assault on Grahams Road. The 39-year-old was visiting one of his takeaway establishments last month when a group of men confronted him, asking when he planned to leave the country. The situation quickly escalated into an unprovoked attack, during which Arshad was punched and had his head slammed against a wall.
With a background as a veterinarian in Pakistan, Dr Arshad sustained injuries severe enough that he chose to attend to his wounds himself using glue stitches rather than wait for emergency medical treatment. He shared his concern over the impact of this incident on his family, noting that his children now fear being victimized at school. Police Scotland is investigating the case and has classified it as a hate crime. A spokesperson indicated that inquiries are still ongoing.
Dr Arshad has political ties, having stood as an Alba Party candidate for Falkirk in the 2024 General Election and now aligning with the SNP. These connections have brought the incident to the attention of the Scottish Parliament, though Arshad worries that the attack might have gone unnoticed had he not been politically active. He described how the assault unfolded on the evening of July 20, with two or three men confronting him as he arrived at his business. Despite attempts to walk away, one man forced his head into a wall and punched him multiple times. Although many bystanders were present, instead of intervening, they recorded the attack on their phones.
Following the assault, it took approximately 45 minutes for police officers to arrive, by which time the attackers had fled. When Arshad called for an ambulance, he was reportedly advised to transport himself to the hospital. Upon contacting A&E, he was told the wait for stitches would be about 14 hours. Concerned about scarring, he sought help from medically trained friends and treated his wounds in the back of the shop. The attack has left his family frightened, with his young son expressing fear about going to school. Despite his wife and mother encouraging him to relocate to France, where he formerly lived, Arshad remains resolute. “We cannot leave anything just because of one bad person – defeat is not an option,” he stated.
This event occurs amid rising tensions around immigration in Scotland. During the opening weekend of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, police arrested several individuals after masked groups targeted people because of their skin color. Earlier that day, a peaceful anti-racism demonstration at Glasgow Green was met later by an anti-immigration crowd at the same location, attracting around 1,700 attendees, according to police estimates. Subsequently, a separate group marched through the city chanting racist abuse and threw a traffic cone at delivery driver Muhammad Jawad Yaqoob. A video capturing the incident circulated widely on social media, showing several young men shouting “get them out” as the cone was thrown. Police Scotland confirmed they are investigating this attack as well
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