ANKARA: An angry group of worshippers lynched a man inside a mosque early Sunday, minutes after he stabbed a retired imam during religious discussions, reports said. Both the imam and the man were killed. The violence occurred in the Ismailaga Mosque in Istanbul's conservative district of Fatih following early morning prayers, the state-run Anatolia news agency and other reports said.
Although retired, the imam had been holding informal discussions in the mosque after early Sunday morning prayers, the private Dogan news agency reported. It was during one of those discussions that a man rose up from within the congregation, handed over a note to imam Bayram Ali Ozturk and then stabbed him in the heart, shouting "Allah", the agency said.
The faithful then attacked the man - identified as 27-year-old Mustafa Erdal - and killed him, the report said. Istanbul police chief Celalettin Cerrah inspected the area on Sunday but declined to comment on the incident. Dogan news agency said police described Erdal as being mentally unstable. His note to the imam read: "will you pray for me?" the agency reported. Anatolia quoted Mahmut Ustaosmanoglu, of the Ismailaga mosque, as saying the man died as the congregation tried to prevent him from striking at the imam again. |