West Midlands Chief Constable Chris Sims was speaking after a visit to the home of murder victim Haroon Jahan, 21, to meet his grieving father Tariq.
Mechanic Haroon was one of three men killed by a hit-and-run driver while helping to protect a mosque and shops from rioters in Birmingham.
Mr Sims said: “The intervention was one of the most powerful, generous and far-sighted I think I’ve ever seen – at a moment of absolute grief and devastation.
“I think it had a decisive impact in preventing Birmingham from suffering from tensions and violence between communities.”
Garage boss Mr Jahan had stood outside his home on Tuesday and said: “Blacks, Asians, whites – we all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise calm down and go home… please.”
Chief Constable Sims spent 10 minutes with Tariq in the terraced house yards from where his son and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, were killed.
Car wash boss Shazad’s pregnant wife Khansa, 22, was last night said to believe the three men are now “watching over us”.
Shazad and Abdul’s sister Sumera, 25, said yesterday: “She is bearing up. She is saying they are lucky to go in this blessed month of Ramadan. The doors of hell are closed and straight away they will go to heaven to watch over us.”
Speaking of the relationship between her brother and his bride, she added: “They had so much love together, it was instant. There was a connection between them. I’m devastated the baby won’t be able to see its father. No matter how much affection we give, it isn’t the same as having a father.”
Chief Constable Sims went for a walkabout in Dudley Road, Winston Green, where the three men died, after meeting Mr Jahan. He added: “Those words were so powerful, so heart-felt, so spontaneous and generous.
“Anybody who felt there was any mileage in continuing a cycle of violence in the name of those young men who died would have thought twice about it.
“They have had a really powerful and enduring effect but will only take root if people really work to break down any community tension that still exists.”
Mr Jahan yesterday went to a local mosque where he met the parents of the brothers. Family friend Mohammad Ghalib, 59, said: “Tariq is a very brave man. He has shown great courage in stabilising the community, even though he has lost his son. Although he lost a loved one, Tariq has shown his commitment to the community by asking everyone to calm down and stay within the law.”
Mr Jahan joined hundreds of Muslims and Sikhs who staged a vigil and prayed together at the spot where the three victims were killed early on Tuesday.
Sikh community leader and organiser Gurpreet Singh, 28, said: “Muslims and Sikhs, two religions who are usually enemies, are coming together to pay respects to three men who died. We are showing the country peace is possible.”
Muslim Ansar Majid, 28, added: “We are doing this to send a message that we have to be united. The madness has to stop.”
Chief Constable Sims said 6,000 officers will patrol the West Midlands until police are satisfied the crisis is over. The force has arrested 360 people so far.
A 32-year-old man arrested in connection with the hit-and-run murders was last night bailed pending further inquiries. Three others, a man aged 26 and two male youths aged 17 and 16, all from Birmingham, were yesterday arrested in connection with the killings.
The Violence Comes From The Mosque, as always:
Violent race riot flared after mosque chief urged Muslims to confront right-wing ‘English Defence League’ protesters
Faces of anger: Some of the Asian youths who opposed protesters from the Right-wing English Defence League in Birmingham. The city’s top Muslim leader had urged his followers to ‘vent their feelings’Read more:
The most influential Muslim leader in the West Midlands urged his followers to ‘vent their feelings’ against Right-wing protesters during a Birmingham rally that ended in violent clashes and 90 arrests.
Image Birmingham riots.
news pictures birmingham riots
news pictures birmingham riots
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