Muslim leaders stage show of unity after Bradford man charged with shopkeeper's '˜religiously prejudiced' murder

The 40-year-old was found injured outside his convenience store in the Shawlands area of the city last Thursday.

Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford, has been charged with murder.

Following the attack police described the incident as ‘’religiously prejudiced’’ and said both men were Muslims.

In the wake of Mr Shah’s death and recent terrorist attacks in Brussels and Lahore, Glasgow Central Mosque - Scotland’s biggest - held an event to encourage unity.

Speakers representing differing strands of Muslim faith, including the Ahmadiyya sect which Mr Shah belonged to, stood together for a minute’s silence for the shopkeeper and the terror victims before making a call for communities to unite.

Lawyer Aamer Anwar, who chaired the event, said: “The tragic loss of one life from our community is one too many.

“Whatever our belief we are united in condemning any form of violence, extremism or terrorism.”

Glasgow Central Mosque president Shafi Kausar said: “Our community since 9/11 has struggled greatly with Islamophobia and we cannot afford this divide on the basis of our beliefs or religion.

“After all, when we are attacked they do not check to see whether we are Sunni, Shia, Christian or Ahmadi.”

He said the mosque stands shoulder to shoulder with others at the event in respecting the right of all individuals to practice their own religion or beliefs.

Among the speakers was the mosque’s imam Habib ur Rehman, who has been criticised for apparently praising an extremist who was executed in Pakistan after murdering a politician.

The imam said a series of leaked Whatsapp messages about Mumtaz Qadri, in which he reportedly called the killer a ‘’true Muslim’’, had been ‘’taken out of context’’ and were about his opposition to Qadri’s hanging and the Pakistani justice system.

On Thursday, he said his private comments were “misconstrued” and added to his “sense of tragedy” following the recent terror attacks.

He said: “I condemn extrajudicial killing and anarchy. The spirit of Islam is a spirit of peace.”

Ahmed Owusu-Konadu, the external affairs secretary at the Ahmadiyya mosque Mr Shah attended, and Rev Frederick D’Costa, representing the Pakistani Christian community, and Chief Superintendent Paul Main of Police Scotland were among other speakers.

Ahmadis are seen as marginalised in Pakistan, where they can be targeted for their beliefs. Their motto is “Love for all, hatred for none”.

The results of the most recent Scottish census found there were 77,000 Muslims in Scotland in 2011. Several hundred are believed to be Ahmadi.