The funeral of a Saudi student who was stabbed to death in Cambridge has taken place in his home city of Makkah.
The 20-year-old was killed last weekend and his father spent the week in the university city making arrangements and trying to grasp what happened to his beloved son.
Mr Alqassem's body was buried at the Al-Shuhada Cemetery after it was flown back from the UK, accompanied with his family.
Prayers were earlier said for him in the Holy Mosque, where he used to provide Iftar to pilgrims on Haj during Ramadan.
Before the family boarded a flight home, they shared with The National a picture of Mohammed relaxing in the Saudi desert.
His family said they want schools and universities in the UK to play a greater role in ensuring the security of students.
His father and cousins visited the spot where “kind and generous” Mohammed died near the private residential block where he lived, reading the many messages from well-wishers placed with floral tributes at the scene.
They spent time in the prestigious university city liaising with the Saudi Embassy and meeting other Saudi students.
Mr Alqassem was one of just under 350,000 young students to come to the UK to learn English and was on a 10 week placement at a language school.
His cousin Abdulmalik Alqassem spoke about the family’s anger after seeing what they consider to be poor security and protection for students living in Cambridge compared with their home country.
He said the families of students “send them here believing that this country offers the highest standards of safety and pay large sums for that very reason”.
“Urgent, serious action” was required, he said. He did not go into detail of what kind of security he envisaged, but it would likely involve guarded communities as well as tougher penalties for offenders.
He added: “If the government is unable or unwilling to secure student housing, then schools and institutes must take responsibility and implement proper security systems.”
Mr Alqassem said that since their arrival in Cambridge, they had witnessed older Saudi students now behaving protectively towards younger students, some of whom are children.
“Today in Cambridge, I saw young Saudi men, 21 or 22 years old, standing in the streets, urging the younger students to go inside,” he said.
“They were acting like security guards. Not because it’s their job, but because they no longer trust that anyone else will protect these kids. They stepped up because they care, but it should never come to that.”
The UK should follow the example of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states which are “societies that uphold some of the highest safety standards in the world”, he believes. “Strict enforcement is not oppression. It’s protection. And that is what’s missing here.”
A local man, Chas Corrigan, 21, has appeared in court charged with murder and will face trial next year. His barrister indicated he will plead not guilty.
During the court hearing, it emerged that Mohammed Alqassem died from stab wounds to his neck despite the efforts of passing doctors to save his life.
Students The National spoke to expressed their concerns about safety in the wake of the stabbing.
They said that while they were aware of a wave of knife crime and robberies in the capital which had tarnished its reputation, it was unexpected in more provincial areas.
Esmat Zeineldin, a 24-year-old from Cairo, said: “Everyone knows there's a lot of stabbings in London but I didn't know there were stabbings in Cambridge. They always claim that Cambridge is safe. I don't find it safe any more.”
Abdulmalik Alqassem previously described his cousin as “a very lovely person” who “had a big smile and liked to make jokes.”
“His life was for others. He was very kind,” he said.
“For Saudis who were coming to Cambridge, he started to help them out with the paperwork process regarding the college and make sure some of them are safe. He used to be a kind of mentor and look after people’s safety. Mohammed was a friend to everyone.
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Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
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