https://arab.news/r36eu
As Saudis mourn the tragic loss of 20-year-old Mohammed Yousef Al-Qasim, a language student stabbed to death in Cambridge on the night of Aug. 1, the UK must confront a sobering reality: Its global image is bleeding alongside its streets.
Al-Qasim was attacked in an unprovoked knife assault near Mill Park, just steps from his residence. The assailant, Chas Corrigan, 21, has been charged with murder and possession of a knife. A second man was arrested for assisting the offender and a third suspect remains at large. The motives remain unclear, but the brutality is undeniable.
Al-Qasim was not just another foreign student, and should not be just a passing story or a number. He was a young, ambitious and bright man full of dreams, positivity and love. He enrolled in a 10-week English program with EF International Language Campuses. He had come to the UK to improve his language skills so he could build a better future. After his untimely death, we found out that he was also a volunteer who served pilgrims during Hajj, a soul described by not just his family, but also by Saudi officials, as kind, generous and full of promise.
Just over 20 years ago, I too packed my bags and left my family to study in the UK. I remember how I had to juggle the excitement, the ambition and the hope that came with the opportunity with the sadness of leaving home, and that look of concealed concern in my parents’ eyes as they bid me farewell.
