Family Seeks Help after Hyderabad Man Faces Alleged Religious Attack in US
Family seeks help after alleged religion-based mall attack.
A Hyderabad man has been left critically injured after allegedly being stabbed multiple times in a shopping mall in the United States in what his family and community members have described as a possible hate crime. Syed Sohailuddin, 37, was attacked at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, on July 13, according to information received by his family in Hyderabad. The incident has prompted calls for government intervention and consular assistance.
According to reports, the attacker allegedly asked Sohailuddin about his religion before stabbing him more than 15 times. The accused, identified as Peter Michael Larsen, 48, was reportedly restrained by bystanders who took away his knife before police arrived. Authorities said he allegedly told them that he targeted the victim because he was Muslim and intended to kill him.
Sohailuddin, who had been operating a kiosk at the mall for around two-and-a-half years, was rushed to a hospital in West Valley City. His condition remains critical, according to his family. Disturbing visuals of the incident circulated widely on social media, increasing concerns among relatives and members of the Indian community about his recovery and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
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The victim's family, residents of Hyderabad's Toli Chowki area, have appealed to the Indian government for immediate assistance. They have requested External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to take up the matter with US authorities and help arrange emergency visas so close family members can travel to the United States to support Sohailuddin during his treatment.
Sohailuddin's wife, Amreen Firdouse, reportedly fainted after receiving news of the attack. The couple has two children, aged five and three years. His sister-in-law, Asma Firdouse, also appealed for urgent assistance, requesting that at least two family members be provided emergency visas to travel to the US.
Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan met Sohailuddin's family and urged the authorities to provide necessary support. He wrote to the External Affairs Minister seeking directions for the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to coordinate with US officials and provide consular assistance to the injured Indian national and his family. He also requested intervention with US diplomatic authorities in India for humanitarian visas.
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