RACIST MURDER IN TOWER HAMLETS

From: Newham Monitoring Project
Email: nmp@gn.apc.org

Shiblu Rahman, a 34 year-old Bangladeshi man, was murdered by 4 white men outside his home in Bow on the 1st April 2001. He was repeatedly stabbed and died as a result of his injuries. Questions are being asked about the way in which the Emergency services handled the incident. This brutal attack has shocked East London communities.

Shiblu was stabbed over a 10 minute period with a 12 inch knife. He managed to stagger to his home where his wife called the meregency services. Despite the local hospital being only 5 minutes away..... it took over 45 minutes for the ambulance to arrive whilst the police refused to allow the family to take Shiblu to the hospital themselves.

Shiblu bled to death by the time he arrived at hospital. He leaves a wife and 2 young children, one aged 5 years and the other 5 months.

NMP are supporting the Justice for the Rahman Family Campaign, it is imperative that we send out a clear message that racist violence will not be tolerated.

On a recent mapping exercise on the estate we found evidence of numerous petrol bombings, blood being smeared in peoples homes and general harassment of local black families.

On Sunday 27th May 2001 @ 2pm, Shiblu's body will be released by the coroner. The family have decided to have a public funeral because of the level of concern on the issue in the local community. The Funeral procession will start in Mile End (in Mile End Stadium near Mile End tube) with prayers (Janaza). The body will then be taken on foot in a funeral procession to Woodgrange Cemetery in Forest Gate.

The Shiblu family and anti-racist organisations are calling for a massive show of strength against racism and are asking people to attend the funeral procession. Particularly because we will be in the midst of a General Election Campaign where the Fascist BNP will be standing candidates locally and in particular in the area Shiblu was murdered.

If you can, help in any way to mobilise the community and ensure that Shiblu Rahman will not be forgotten. There are lots of things to do including leafleting at the weekends or by assisting us making the memorial banners to line the streets of Newham as the procession passes by.

If you are able to help, then please contact me or NMP's office 020 8555 8151

Cheers for your support

Ruhul: BRAIN Parveen, Zainab: NMP