Rabat – Syrian-Jordanian surgeon Nasser Kurdy, who volunteered to treat the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, was stabbed from behind with a knife on September 24 while walking to a mosque.
After the attack, Kurdy was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where he works as a consultant orthopedic surgeon, and received treatment for the three-centimeter wound on the back of his neck.
“God was merciful to me yesterday. It could be a nerve, an artery, a vein, the gullet. The neck is the contact between the body and your head, but fortunately it was just the muscle,” the 58-year-old Muslim surgeon told British newspaper The Independent.
Police confirmed that they had arrested Anthony Rook, a 28-year-old homeless man, as a suspect and are treating the offence as a hate crime.
Rook has been charged with assault and possession of a lethal weapon and is due to appear at Manchester City Magistrates Court, Greater Manchester Police said.
Kurdy indicated that he couldn’t exactly recall what the attacker told him, but was in “no doubt” the attack occurred because he was entering a mosque. Nevertheless, the surgeon forgave the attacker.
“He is not representative of what this country stands for,” he said. “I have absolutely no anger or hate or anything negative towards him. I have declared it. I have totally forgiven him. He could be a marginalized person within his own community.”
He continued to say that “people need to know there are Muslims like myself. I’ve worked hard, I’m a surgeon, I treat people. I have a wonderful community. My colleagues at work respect me and value my contribution. I’m sure people don’t get to see that, all they get to see is those crackpots.”
