“I’m a Muslim. I Abandoned My Home and Fled With My Wife and Children Because of the Horrible Things That Happened to Us—Something No Family Should Ever Experience

A Syrian refugee and his family have left their home in Holywood, Northern Ireland, after a suspected racist attack left two of their children with minor injuries.

Police said they are treating the incident, which happened in Church Green on Sunday night, as a racially motivated hate crime.

Torki Al Omare, who works as a Glider bus driver, moved to Northern Ireland with his family nine years ago. He said a group of masked young people attacked their home by throwing stones through the windows.

Mr Al Omare, his wife and their three children, aged 11, nine and seven, were inside the house at the time. The stones smashed the windows, and two of the children were slightly injured by flying glass and other debris.

The frightened family has now left the property and said they do not plan to return because they no longer feel safe there.

Mr Al Omare told The Irish News that the attack followed about two years of threats, abuse and intimidation from some people living nearby.

He claimed people had insulted the family because of their religion and skin colour. He also said his wife had previously been attacked for wearing a hijab and that the family had been told they were not welcome in the area.

According to him, his children were warned not to play outside in the estate. He said the children are now extremely frightened and emotionally affected by what happened.

Mr Al Omare said he would never return to the house or live in Holywood or east Belfast again because he does not feel safe there. He hopes the family will soon be able to move to west Belfast, where he says he feels safer.

He claimed he had reported incidents of threats, abuse and intimidation to the Police Service of Northern Ireland at least 16 times during the past two years. He also alleged that a young person had threatened to kill members of his family.

His wife, Saja, believes the latest attack was carefully planned. She said no family should be forced to experience violence and fear simply because they are trying to protect their children.

Before the attack, footage showing an argument involving members of the family and several other people in Holywood was shared on social media. Some accounts connected to anti-immigration groups also circulated the video.

Police confirmed that another nearby home was attacked on the same night in what they believe may have been a connected incident. Two windows were smashed at that property, and some cash was reportedly stolen.

The PSNI said both incidents were being investigated as racially motivated hate crimes. A police spokesperson described such behaviour as completely unacceptable and said everyone has the right to feel safe inside their home, regardless of their race or background.

Alliance Party politician Andrew Muir also condemned the attacks, calling them disgusting. He said Holywood is generally a welcoming and inclusive town and that the violence does not represent the views of most local residents, many of whom were horrified by what happened.

The incident has raised further concerns about racist and anti-Muslim violence in Northern Ireland. In June 2026, serious unrest broke out in parts of Belfast following a stabbing allegedly involving an African man.

During the disorder, the homes of immigrants and refugees were attacked, while some Muslim-owned businesses were also targeted. Several properties and shops were damaged, looted or set on fire.

Some campaigners believe poverty, housing pressures, sectarian divisions and the influence of far-right groups have increased tensions in certain loyalist communities. However, they stress that the people involved in racist violence do not represent the majority of residents.

Holywood is mainly a Protestant area, while west Belfast has a larger Catholic and republican population. Some Muslim residents and anti-racism campaigners say they feel safer and more welcome in republican areas, although experiences can differ from one neighbourhood to another.

During a visit to Belfast in June, Muslim community representatives and anti-racism activists discussed the reasons behind the violence.

Sean Murray, a Belfast-based republican activist and documentary filmmaker, said Northern Ireland’s long history of sectarian conflict continues to influence some communities today. He compared recent attacks on immigrants with earlier violence directed at Catholic families during the Troubles.

Mr Murray claimed loyalist paramilitary groups were involved in some of the unrest and accused them of supporting racist and far-right ideas. These are serious allegations and should be treated as claims unless confirmed by police or other official investigations.

He added that most people in Northern Ireland reject racism and violence. He said Muslims and other minority communities should know that many local people oppose such attacks and are prepared to welcome and support them.