A 28-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing at court charged with stabbing a Muslim surgeon outside a mosque.
Ian Anthony Rook, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with a section 18 assault – wounding or causing grievous bodily harm – and possession of an offensive weapon, a large knife.
Consultant Nasser Kurdy, 58, was attacked from behind as he walked to Altrincham Islamic Centre in Hale, Cheshire, just before 6pm on Sunday.
Rook, wearing a grey jumper, spoke to confirm his name and date of birth at the brief hearing.
District Judge Khalid Qureshi sent the case to Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester where Rook will next appear on October 23.
Mr Kurdy suffered a three centimetre (1.1in) wound to the back of his neck and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital for treatment, where he works as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon.
Ian Anthony Rook’s case will be heard at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester (Dave Thompson/PA)
He was later discharged.
On Monday the father-of-three, from a Syrian Jordanian family, was preparing to go back to work to treat his patients.
He has worked as a doctor for four decades, after coming to Britain to study medicine in 1977 and working in Perth, Dundee and Northampton before settling in Manchester in 1991.
Earlier this year he treated casualties in the Manchester Arena bombing.
Mr Kurdy was heading to the Islamic Centre in Grove Lane for mid-afternoon prayers and a committee meeting, as he is a lay imam, sometimes giving sermons, and vice chairman of Altrincham and Hale Muslim Association.
He told reporters he felt no anger towards his attacker.
Greater Manchester Police said a second man arrested following the attack had been released with no further action.