Terror police probe imam Abdul-Hadi Arwani murder in London

Abdul Hadi Arwani, an outspoken critic of the Assad regime in Syria, was found dead on Tuesday morning in a car parked in Wembley.

On Tuesday police were called to reports of a man with gunshot injuries to his chest at 11.15am. They found a man in his late 40s sitting in a dark coloured Volkswagen Passat in Greenhill, at the junction with The Paddocks. He was pronounced dead at the scene around half an hour later. A post-mortem examination will be carried out.

Mr Arwani, reported to have six children, was a preacher at the An Noor mosque in Acton, west London, from 2005-2011.

Assad

Dr Khaled Kamaraldin, a friend of the former imam, told Channel 4 News that he believed it could have been a “racist” attack. He said: “It could be a racist attack it could be the regime, I would put it at the top of the list. The regime and hezbollah. It could be the Russians behind it, a lot of people.”

Mr Arwani was born in Syria and was said to have been an outspoken critic of President Bashar Assad.

Asked if it could really be related to the regime, Dr Kamaraldin said: “Oh yes, if it’s not him personally, or he ordered it, somebody or his cronies because it doesn’t serve anyone except putting pressure on Britain and Europe.”

‘Sadly missed’

A statement posted on the wall of the centre read: “We have with great sadness heard of the unfortunate death of Shaykh Abdulhadi Arwani who was the former Iman of the An Noor Cultural and Community Centre who served from 2005 to 2011. He will be sadly missed.”

Scotland Yard said detectives had an open mind about the possible motive of the shooting.

The Metropolitan Police said detectives from its counter terrorism command are carrying out the inquiry “because of their expertise in the management of investigations with international dimensions and an established liaison network abroad”.

He is believed to have attended protests against the regime outside the Syrian embassy in London in 2012.