Omar Raza says Paris attacks fuelled hatred

Comedy actor Omar Raza has been attacked by racist thugs near his Glasgow home.

The 26-year-old Scot believes he was targeted as anti-Islamic feeling has been stoked in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.

He was confronted by three men who called him a 'fucking Paki' and accused him of funding Islamic State.

Raza – who played Sanjay Majhu in the Radio 4 comedy Fags, Mags and Bags – tried to walk past them, 'but I was suddenly attacked from behind and put in a head lock,' he told the Guardian.

He was kicked to the ground and the bag he was carrying emptied across the pavement, before his attackers ran off.

'Of course I've been the victim of hate speech before, but never a physical assault,' he added: 'It's obvious that what's going on [in Paris] is seeping into society and a lot of people are acting on half-truths.'

Raza, who also appeared on Limmy's Show, told the BBC 'my situation is a pin drop in the ocean compared to other situations' but said that he had become wary of strangers and sometimes felt he didn't want to go out following the attack. But he had been encouraged by messages of support on social networks.

Stirring up racial hatred is one of the stated aims of Islamic State, as it serves as a recruiting tool, making victims of such attacks feel they have no choice but to support the jihadists.

Published: 23 Nov 2015