'Scrounger's' mini-bus torched

Mohammed Salim

The family mini-bus of Mohammed Salim has been torched and burnt out in the early hours outside his home in Letchworth Avenue, Deeplish.

The controversial father of eleven children was branded a 'scrounger' in the national media after the family featured in a TV documentary about his family being supported by state benefits, and became the target of abuse and vandalism.

Mr Salim says he has reported the attack to police as a racist hate crime, he said: "It was a horrible, frightening experience, especially for my children who, along with me, are heartbroken.

"I think for speaking my mind and being up front some mindless people chose violence to get at my family and me.

"This to me is a terrorist attack on my family coupled with racism and hate. For what, I don’t know.

"We can not replace the memories or the sentimental value the mini-bus had for us over the past 16 years.

"Our cries for help have fallen deaf ears of the police. Why?"

A police spokesman said: "The attack has not been logged as a ‘racist hate crime’, however, an investigation is under way and enquiries are continuing."

Mr Salim is now appealing for help to replace the mini bus, he said: "We have no mini bus now for the kidss Is there any possibility someone could help us get a donor or sponsorship for a mini-bus?"

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/78283/scrounging-rochdale-couple-with-11-kids-back-on-television

Mr Salim, who has lived in Rochdale since 1966, first shot to fame in 1990 when he staged a hunger strike outside the town hall protesting against the library stocking Salman Rushdie’s infamous Satanic Verses.

He married Noreen the same year, when she was aged just 16, and their eldest son, Muhammad Aves, was born in 1991.

Mr Salim has since run, unsuccessfully, for election to parliament for the Islam Zinda Baad Platform and published a book about his life.

He is a qualified teacher who quit his teaching job to claim full benefits.