Leicester: Mother & 3 Children die in Housefire

Leicester house fire:
Thousands gather for funeral prayers
Thousands gathered to pay their respects. In the background is the marquee in which the coffins were laid.
10,000 people gathered in Leicester's Spinney Hill Park yesterday for funeral prayers for a mother and her three teenage children who were killed in a house fire.

Shehnila Taufiq, 47, her daughter Zainab, 19, and two sons, Bilal, 17, and 15-year-old Jamal, died after their home in Wood Hill, Spinney Hills was set alight on September 13.

Husband and father of the victims, Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar, told the gathering in Spinney Hill Park: "I am not angry but my heart is broken."

At the service Dr Sattar cried as he helped to carry the coffins of his wife and three children.

But he found the strength to poignantly address the crowd, which gathered at the park to pay their final respects to his family.

Several hours after the funeral prayers, police charged a 22-year-old man with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths.

He is the eighth person to be charged with murder, in relation to fire at the house. He is due to appear before Leicester Magistrates' Court today.

Speaking to the media after yesterday's funeral prayers, Dr Sattar said: "My heart is crying."

"This is a very sad day."

He added: "I cried a few times today by carrying the coffin of my family. But this is just natural.

"I'm not angry, but my heart is broken."

Mourners started gathering at the park early yesterday afternoon.

The coffins were brought from the mortuary at Jame Mosque, Asfordby Street, to the park in two modified ambulances, led by a police car.

Their arrival at the park reduced most of the emotional crowd to tears.

There were tears from not only those who knew the family but thousands of people who did not and had come to the park to show their support.

The coffins were laid next to one another underneath a white marquee.

As with the Muslim tradition, rows of men stood together in front of the marquee, while the women paid their respects further back in a taped off area.

There was silence as Dr Sattar addressed the thousands of mourners.

He spoke the words one of his sons had read to him the day before he died.

"There are so many people on earth and some of them will be remembered forever but some will never be known," he recited.

Maulana Adam Lunat, head Imam of Jame Mosque, then led the prayer service at around 4pm.

After the service, Dr Sattar said: "There is a famous sentence in the Quar'an, which is one that my wife used a lot of the time to get me to calm down: 'god is always with you, when you show patience'."

As he left, men linked arms, forming a pathway for Dr Sattar to walk down.

And a queue of men formed, each wanting to show their respects through a hug and a few words.

Before driving back to the mosque, Dr Sattar shook the hands of City police commander Rob Nixon and assistant chief constable, Roger Bannister and thanked them.

Chairman for the Muslim Burial Council of Leicestershire, Suleman Nagdi, said: "Today was very emotional.

"I salute Doctor Sattar. He is a person, who at times when he was carrying the coffin, I thought would break down but he didn't."

Among the mourners was Taslim Hassam, 41, of Highfields, who would often see Bilal playing football at Spinney Hill Park said: "I wanted to pay my deepest respects from the heart. I think everyone has been hurt by this.

"Sometimes you feel so helpless but I wanted to show the Dr Taufiq and other affected by this tragedy that they are not alone - we are here standing with them, showing our support."

Abdulkarim Gheewala Masjid Al Falah, chairman of Keythorpe Street Mosque, in Highfields, Leicester, said: "It's unbelievable what's happened and I know it's a very sad time.

"The community will be stronger as a result of this, the unity that has been demonstrated here is truly remarkable."

The Venerable Dr Tim Stratford, archdeacon of Leicester, was at the service on behalf of the Diocese and Bishop of Leicester.

"Seeing these people here today out of respect, care and love - it shows to me that love is stronger than violence," he said.

Councillor Manjula Sood, chairwoman of Leicester Council of Faiths, said: "Today we have prayed together for these young souls who have gone to paradise.

"This was an unbelievably tragic event.

"But you can see how people from all walks of life, faiths and different organisations have demonstrated their solidarity in grief."

Also among the mourners was Shifa Shahab, from Markfield, who said:

"The way the father has dealt with everything despite his pain has inspired me.

"He said to the crowd 'death will come to us all, but it's the way you live that will determine what you leave behind you'.

"I think this family have left behind a lot of love and you can feel it."

The coffins will remain at the mosque until they are transported to Dublin for a funeral this week.

'The dignity of Dr Sattar is truly inspiring'

A selection of quotes from some of the many thousands of people who gathered at Spinney Hill Park yesterday to pay their respects to the family.

Councillor Manjula Sood, chairwoman of Leicester Council of Faiths

"Today, we have prayed together for these young souls who have gone to paradise. This was an unbelievably tragic event, but you can see how people from all walks of life, faiths and different organisations have demonstrated their solidarity in grief."

Shifa Shahab, from Markfield

"The way the father has dealt with everything despite his pain has inspired me. He said to the crowd 'death will come to us all, but it's the way you live that will determine what you leave behind you'. I think this family have left behind a lot of love and you can feel it."

Assistant Chief Constable Roger Bannister

"It has been an excellent example of the community coming together in a deeply respectful, and at times, very emotional way. There's been young people, very young people and men and women of all ages."

Paul Whitlock, 63, from Netherhall

"People still can't get their heads around it, it's just such a really awful thing. But it was important to me that I came down to pay my respects. As a city we have all come together."

Imran Lambat, 32, of North Evington, Leicester

"Mrs Taufiq and the girls used to attend a religious instruction class organised by my wife. What struck us was how devout, humble and down to earth they were. Their deaths were such a big shock for my family."

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby

"It has been a profoundly moving occasion to see such an outpouring of grief and sympathy. After suffering such an awful loss, the dignity of Dr Sattar is truly inspiring."

Leicester: Mother & 3 Children die in Housefire

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