A man who was found dead near a mosque in Rochdale has been confirmed as an Imam.
The man, Jalal Uddin, was said to be on his way home after leading prayers at the Jalali Jame mosque. The 56-year-old was found with a head injury in a playground that was on his route.
A post mortem is due to take place shortly to establish the cause of death but in the meantime, police and civil leaders are calling for calm in the town just north of Manchester.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Greater Manchester Police's Mark Smith said, "We know local people will be worried when they hear news of what has happened and we have extra patrols in place to try and reassure the community. We are asking people to speak with officers if they saw, heard or know anything that can assist this investigation."
Like other towns in the area, Rochdale has a significant Muslim population. At the last census, there were just under 30,000 Muslims out of a total population of 211,699 in the town, which was the birthplace of the co-operative movement.
Mr Uddin is believed to have been of Bangladeshi origin. The mosque confirmed his death on its website, while the head of the Ramadhan Foundation, Mohammed Shafiq, warned that extra caution was needed for Muslims in the area. He said, "We would urge all local Mosques in Rochdale to consider emergency security precautions and facilities to help local people return home safely from the mosque. Furthermore mosques should also consider buddying various people together to ensure vulnerable people are supported."
According to the Guardian, a 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder.
