An Emirati young man was attacked in a London street as he sat in his Mercedes G-class SUV on Saturday.
The attack was launched by another man from Arab origins.
The British police (Scotland Yard) told Asharq Al-Awsat that the attacker, Adnan Musa Basim, 24, had drugs when he was arrested. It added that the arrest took place on Saturday, and Basim has been charged with assault and criminal damage on Sunday.
A video went viral on social media showed an unknown Arab man, wearing a military outfit, approaching the Emirati citizen Abdullah al-Hosani, beating the latter on the head and spraying paint on the car, as he did with other cars holding Gulf-registered plates.
Reportedly, Basim wrote the expressions “war” and “ya Ali” on Hosani’s SUV.
The Emirati citizen resisted the attack which took place near the Harrods. Lebanese people, who were in a nearby restaurant, helped get control over the 24-year-old attacker until the police arrived.
Sources in London confirmed that Hosani lives in the British capital and works as a university instructor. They said the Emirati man didn’t recognize the man who hit him, but he said he threatened him.
Looking at the Basim’s accounts on social media, Asharq Al-Awsat found that he introduces himself as a Londoner, and that he has Lebanese and Iraqi origins.
On his Instagram account he wrote: “I am a mad man, and proud of it”. Most of the pictures and expressions he posted on his accounts are related to marital arts such as karate and boxing. He also shared many pictures for Boxer Mike Tyson.
The British authorities are currently investigating whether the attack had racist backgrounds.
On Tuesday, the charged man stood before the Westminster Court, which refused to announce the verdict.
