The first female Muslim Council leader in Oldham was the target of a deliberate attack when her car was set on fire. Arooj Shah, who was elected earlier this year, saw his car catch fire on Tuesday morning (13/7).

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers, firefighters and rescue services responded to the fire at around 1:30am local time.

"From an on-the-ground investigation it was found the vehicle was intentionally ignited which caused the damage," Chief Detective Inspector Wesley Knights of the Oldham GMP Division said in a statement.

He explained that the fire destroyed the vehicle and caused damage to nearby buildings. This attack is considered a reckless and disgusting act. Fortunately, there were no fatalities and no one was injured.

"We will not stop until the perpetrators are caught and held accountable in court," he said. So far, one suspect has been arrested. However, they are still continuing their investigation.

The attack coincided with a national condemnation of racism after three black players from the national football team were harassed online following the defeat to Italy in the EURO 2020 final.

Quoted by Anadolu Agency, Thursday (15/7), several politicians offered their full support to the Shah after the incident. “This is absolutely horrible and I send my full support to @shah_arooj. This will be fully investigated," Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said in a tweet.

Labor MP Yasmin Qureshi also responded to this. Qureshi fully supports and prays for Arooj Shah. "I'm facing Shah now he's fine," he said.

Labor Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said Shah had the full support of everyone in the Labor family and from his colleagues on Oldham Council to lawmakers across the country.

"Shah has faced disgusting abuse throughout his career as a board member and he has always handled it with grace and dignity," Rayner said in a statement.