Lebanese Sheikh found murdered in mosque

Sheikh Maimoun Zarzour of Lebanese origins was found dead in a mosque in London . London – Zaki Chehab London Metropolitan Police and the Lebanese Ambassadofr in the UK confirmed the death of a Lebanese Sheikh in a North London mosque on Thursday night, after Scotland Yard announced that Sheikh Maimoun Zarzour of Lebanese origins was found dead in a mosque in Seven Sisters in North London. According to sources, Sheikh Zarzour, who was born in 1972 in South Lebanon, was attacked by an Algerian young man inside the Seven Sisters mosque who suffocated him after an argument between the two. Sheikh Zarzour had fled Lebanon four years ago after surviving an assassination attempt. The Lebanese ambassador in London Inaam Osseiran, who is following the case with the British Authorities, informed Arabstoday that the Algerian man gave himself up to the police, but no more details have been revealed about the motivations behind the crime committed.
Following the murder of Sheikh Zarzour, the Metropolitan Police have appealed for witnesses and information on the crime. They have released a statement stating that they received a call by the London Ambulance Service at 1021hrs on Friday 2 September, to reports of a man seriously injured at Muslim Welfare House in Seven Sisters Road, North London. Police officers then attended and a man believed to be aged in his 30s was pronounced dead at the scene. 
\"We know the victim\'s identity, but we await formal identification. We are in the process of contacting next of kin who live outside the UK.\"
They said that a post-mortem examination is being arranged while they await further details. It is for the coroner to establish a cause of death as they are not prepared to speculate. A man was then arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He has been identified, and at this stage they are not seeking to make any further
arrests. the suspect remains in custody.
According to local sources in Seven Sisters, Sheikh Zarzour used to lead the daily prayers regularly and was also a student of Islamic studies at Oxford University. A statement was issued by Al Jamaa\' Al Islamiyyah in Lebanon on Friday; it announced the death of Sheikh Maimoun Ghandi Zarzour who was killed in mysterious circumstances and called on the British police to carry out a full investigation. Meanwhile, Islington police officers are investigating, alongside colleagues from the Homicide & Serious Crime Command. Safer Neighbourhoods teams and local police officers in Islington are working closely with the Muslim Welfare House to reassure the community during this difficult time. At this early stage, inquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and any motive, although the Metropolitan Police believe the person they have
arrested attended dawn prayers (known as fajr) at the mosque on the morning of Friday 2 September.
Al Jamaa\' Al Islamiyyah described Sheikh Zarzour as one of their active leaders in Iqleem Kharoub in South Lebanon. He was described as an open-minded person who graduated from Al Azhar University in Lebanon. Sheikh Zarzour was a member of Alshoura Council for the Islamic community and a lecturer at the European College for Islamic Studies in London.
This is not believed to be a race/faith hate crime, according to them. An incident room has been opened at Belgravia Police Station and anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room on 0207 321 7228 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if they wish to remain anonymous.