Three Asian men killed

The death of three British Asian men in Birmingham in the early hours of today has raised fresh fears of inter-communal violence.

Community leaders are looking to calm understandable anger after brothers Shazad Ali and Abdul Mussavir, 32 and 30, and Haroon Jahan, 21, were hit by a speeding car in Dudley Road.

Locals say they had been part of a large group of Asian men who had just finished nightly prayers at the mosque and were guarding the street from potential rioters.

They were hit by a speeding car which had mounted the pavement. A murder investigation is now underway with police questioning a 32-year-old man.

Locals say the occupants of the car were opportunists who had been looking to cause trouble in Dudley Road, Birmingham.

Haroon's father Jahan joined appeals for calm, holding a photograph of his son in the doorway of his home at Winson Green.

He said: "He was trying to help his community and he has been killed. He was a very well-liked kid. I can't describe to anybody what it feels like to lose a son. He was the youngest of three, and anything I ever wanted done, I would always ask Haroon to sort it out for me.

"A day from now, maybe two days from now, the whole world will forget and nobody will care."

Amidst fears of fresh trouble tonight, there are some in the community who feel they need to avenge the death of their friends.

And some believe it could kick off an inter-city race war reminiscent of the 'Lozells' riots back in October 2005.

Intense racial tension blew up when unfounded rumours that a group of Asian men had assaulted a black girl in the area of Lozells, sparking off a riot which resulted in the death of two men.

Six years have passed since then and a lot of work has been done to quell any tension between the two communities.

The death of anyone is hard to take, and in the context of the current riots, it can easily spark of fresh periods of trouble, even worse than yobs looting the city centre.

But Jahan called for calm and for the community to restrain from any revenge attacks.

"I don't blame the government, I don't blame the police, I don't blame nobody. It was his destiny and his fate, and now he's gone."

The leaders of our community need to come out and stand side by side to show solidarity at a time when unity has never been more important.

Tonight these families are grieving. Let's hope there are not anymore losses of life.

Picture: Police forensic officer inspecting the scene where the three men died