A Muslim man who verbally abused and threatened an Orthodox Jewish man in what authorities described as an antisemitic attack has been sentenced to 16 months in prison.
About three months ago, Moishe, an Orthodox Jewish man in his 30s who lives in London, drew widespread attention after publishing a personal essay in the Daily Mail describing the attack.
Shafiq Rahman, verbally abused and threatened an Orthodox Jewish man
(Credit: Shomrim London)
"I work as a building inspector, and while photographing the outside of a house in Slough, a man started screaming that I was a 'dirty Jew', a 'baby killer'," he wrote at the time.
The attacker, 48-year-old Shafiq Rahman, was arrested shortly after the incident. On Friday, a court sentenced him to 16 months in prison, also taking into account a separate offense in which a dog under his responsibility seriously injured a man.
The antisemitic incident took place on April 20 while Moishe was carrying out work at a property on Elliman Avenue in Slough. Wearing a kippah, he was spotted by Rahman, who was riding past on a bicycle and began shouting antisemitic abuse at him.
According to police, Rahman approached the victim, threatened him and attempted to snatch his cellphone. Several bystanders tried to intervene but were also subjected to verbal abuse.
Video of the incident quickly spread across social media, prompting concern among local residents and the wider community. Following the video's circulation and a public appeal by police, investigators received information that helped identify the suspect.
Rahman was arrested on April 23 and charged the following day. He pleaded guilty to assault aggravated by racial or religious hostility, using threatening words with intent to cause fear or provoke violence under aggravated circumstances and criminal damage. He was also convicted in a separate case involving a dog under his responsibility that seriously injured a man in Thatcham in June 2025.
Rahman was arrested on April 23 and charged the following day
Following the sentencing, Stuart Bosley, commander of the East Berkshire Local Policing Area within Thames Valley Police, described the incident as "shocking and targeted antisemitic attack on a man simply going about his work."
"We understand that crimes of this nature cause distress and fear, having a profound impact not only on the victim, but on the wider community," Bosley said. "Everyone should feel safe to go about their lives without fear of harassment or abuse."
He added: "There is no place for antisemitism in Slough or in wider society. We remain committed to tackling hate crime, supporting victims and working with our communities to ensure they are safe and protected."
The Community Security Trust, a British charity that monitors antisemitism, welcomed the conviction, saying: "Nobody should be subjected to racist abuse, threats and intimidation simply because they are Jewish."
The organization said the prosecution and sentence send "a clear message that antisemitism will not be tolerated and that there should always be a consequence for this kind of appalling anti-Jewish hatred."
Shomrim, a volunteer organization that helps protect Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, also welcomed the outcome, calling it "a deeply disturbing antisemitic attack on a member of the Jewish community who was simply going about his daily work."
The organization thanked members of the public who provided information to police, saying their cooperation helped identify the offender and bring him to justice.
In his Daily Mail essay, Moishe wrote about what he sees as the broader climate of antisemitism in Britain:
"I want the threat removed: the marches, the online hate, what is being preached in the mosques, the anti-Semitic bile taught in schools and universities. As long as we tolerate and accept these things, then we will simply be chasing after the next attack. And then the one after that. But it feels like our government can't even name the issue for what it is. They have failed us.
"For too long, I have tried to tell myself that we will be fine. I now know that's not true. Some friends are already making plans to leave. Others, like me, argue that we should stay. I ask myself constantly if I'm being naive: after all, I know that our families are only here because they knew when to run from danger. I have taken up self-defence so that I can protect myself and my family if anyone tries to hurt us. And I think about moving somewhere safer every day. Unless something changes – dramatically – I don't think Jews have a future in Britain."