Mosque Call To Prayer Muazzin Set On Fire By Masked Man

Story By:  Ana MarjanovicSub-EditorJoseph Golder, Agency:  Asia Wire Report

A 67-year old muazzin who does the call to prayers at a mosque has been deliberately set on fire by an attacker on a motorbike.

The incident took place in front of the Al-Hasanah Mosque in Alor Setar, the state capital of Kedah in Malaysia.

A masked man reportedly poured kerosene on him and set him on fire before dashing off.

AsiaWire/Atok Jai Runner

The victim was identified as Amri Budin, who workes as a muazzin, the Muslim official of a mosque who summons the faithful to prayer from a minaret five times a day.

Budin was riding his motorcycle to the mosque at around 6 am for the morning prayers and was just getting ready to enter the mosque when a masked man on a motorcycle passed by and splashed kerosene on him before setting him on fire.

Apparently the staff at the mosque heard his screams, came to help him and put out the fire while another person called his son and an ambulance.

AsiaWire/@fiezed.mdnasir

Amri suffered 25 per cent burns to his face, hands and left side of the body, He was admitted to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for treatment.

A man in his 40s has been arrested by police for the assault. It was reported the man was unhappy about being turned down to assist the muazzin in his work.

That police have seized a motorcycle, petrol and clothes believed to be used by the suspect. The investigation is ongoing.

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