See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JON BRADY, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:55 BST, 5 June 2026 | Updated: 12:12 BST, 5 June 2026
Arsonists have set fire to a car outside the home of a prominent left-wing politician's family in what is feared to have been a targeted attack.CCTV shows the moment two hooded men pour petrol over the top of a black Lexus saloon outside a house in Birmingham on Wednesday night.The house is owned by the family of political activist Salma Yaqoob, a pro-Palestine activist and patron of the Stop The War Coalition.Moments later, the car explodes in a flash of bright light. Video footage shows it burning in the driveway of their home in Portman Road, crackling and occasionally popping as pieces of the car melt away.Ms Yaqoob's quick-thinking brothers Farrukh and Rashad were alerted to the flames and sought to prevent the fire from spreading to their other car and the house itself.They grabbed a garden hosepipe and buckets to douse the flames before they reached the fuel tank or the car's hybrid electric battery, which could have violently ignited.Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after and were able to contain the blaze. It is feared those responsible deliberately targeted Ms Yaqoob's family, who are well known in political circles. Birmingham politician Salma Yaqoob's family home was targeted by arsonists earlier this week Hooded men are seen pouring petrol on the roof of the black Lexus in the early hours of Wednesday June 3 The car then rapidly caught fire - with Ms Yaqoob's brothers running out with water in a bid to calm the flamesMs Yaqoob said of the fire: 'It has been an extremely distressing experience. We are grateful that no-one has been hurt. 'The fire service responded quickly to prevent the flames spreading to the house where family members had been sleeping.'There is a police investigation and we hope the perpetrators will be identified quickly.'She is the former leader of the Respect Party - which once counted George Galloway as its sole MP - and unsuccessfully stood to be the Labour candidate for the West Midlands mayoralty in 2021.She now aligns herself with Jeremy Corbyn's Your Party and backed Green candidate Hannah Spencer in the Gorton and Denton by-election.She is also a staunch critic of Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, which she has branded a 'genocide'.Mr Corbyn said on X today: 'I am horrified that a car has been deliberately set alight outside the home of the family of Salma Yaqoob, a wonderful prominent anti-racist and peace campaigner in Birmingham. 'I hope the police take this shocking incident seriously. Sending my solidarity to Salma & her family.'The fire has left Ms Yaqoob and her family anxious, fearing further incidents. They have urged police to find those responsible.In CCTV footage two figures are seen, one of them pouring fluid, thought to be petrol, over the roof of one car before setting it on fire. The other seems to be filming the incident. The car was left a smouldering wreck after firefighters were successfully able to extinguish the blazeFootage also shows the car alight from across the road, with neighbours awoken by the commotion. Fire crews are then seen arriving and putting out the fire. The car was destroyed.West Midlands Fire Service said: 'Shortly after 1.20am on Wednesday 3 June, we responded to reports of fire on Portman Road, Birmingham.'Two fire engines and a brigade response vehicle attended, crewed by firefighters from Highgate and Kings Norton fire stations. Crews arrived to find a car on fire on a driveway. It had spread to a nearby hedge.'Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using a hose reel. We then continued to monitor the temperature of the vehicle, before leaving the incident with the police just before 2.30am. Fortunately, no one was hurt.'West Midlands Police said: 'We are investigating and would urge anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting 20/271790/26.' The incident comes just over a week after another pro-Palestine activist in Birmingham was targeted by vandals who smashed car and house windows before fleeing the scene.Javed Iqbal's home in Bordesley Green was targeted in the early hours of Sunday May 24. No connection has yet been made between the incidents.Mr Iqbal told Birmingham Live: 'I honestly don't know why we were targeted and why this has happened.'
