Birmingham mosque attacks: Four holy buildings vandalised 'with sledgehammers'

[Abdullah719]

Police have confirmed four mosques have been attacked with sledgehammers in Birmingham overnight.

West Midlands police have confirmed counter-terror police are working with them after the mosques were attacked on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

The Birmingham Muslim community has been left terrified just days after the deadly terror attacks on two mosques in New Zealand, Birmingham Live has reported..

The force has confirmed the Witton Road Islamic Centre in Witton was among those attacked overnight Wednesday.

West Midlands police say they were called at 2.32am today to reports of a man smashing windows with a sledgehammer at the mosque on Birchfield Road.

Officers arrived within minutes, but soon established that the attack had happened some time earlier.

At 3.14am, police were alerted to a similar attack at the mosque on Slade Road, Erdington.

Police began patrols in areas with mosques and came across further damage at places of worship on Witton Road, Aston, and at Broadway, Perry Barr.

Forensic officers are working to identify evidence, and CCTV is being examined, the force said.

Neighbourhood officers are working closely with mosques around the West Midlands today, police added.

West Midlands Police chief constable Dave Thompson said:

"Since the tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, officers and staff from West Midlands Police have been working closely with our faith partners across the region to offer reassurance and support at mosques, churches and places of prayer.

At the moment we don’t know the motive for last night’s attacks.

What I can say is that the force and the Counter Terrorism Unit are working side-by-side to find whoever is responsible.

At difficult times like this, it is incredibly important that everyone unites against those who seek to create discord, uncertainty and fear in our communities.”

The Birmingham Council of Mosques earlier released a statement saying at least three premises were “vandalised” on Wednesday night.

Sharafat Ali, the Imam of Witton Islamic Centre, said around seven windows and two doors were smashed between 1.30am and 2am on Thursday.

Mr Ali said the attack had left them scared in the wake of the New Zealand massacre on Friday, which killed 50 worshippers in two mosques.

They were terrified after the vandalism, 66-year-old Mr Ali said.

"It's terrible, the community is shocked because of what’s happened in New Zealand.

We’ve been here for 30 years. In the morning you get 40 worshippers for morning prayer, on Friday you get about two to three hundred.

This doesn’t happen in Aston.

Tomorrow is Friday prayers and I don’t know what’s going up happen.

We are asking the police to give us more security.”

The Birmingham Council of Mosques is urging vigilance ahead of Friday prayers.

It said it believed the attacked mosques were based around Handsworth, Aston and Witton.

"We ask the Masajids to be vigilant and do not hesitate in reporting any unusual/suspicious behaviour to the police immediately.

It is vital you report it so it can be logged."

Video posted on Twitter by Birmingham councillor Majid Mahmood showed a clean-up operation in progress at the Witton Road centre.

He said the centre was attacked with a sledgehammer.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-birmingham-mosque-attacks-least-14166466

 

[the Great Khan]

as long as you cower and refuse to take action to protect your places of worship this will continue to happen.."we are terrified"..yay kya bakwaas hay? stop spending money on chandeliers and start thinking about how to protect worshippers and combatting the far right.."we are terrified" doesnt help anyone..

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Windows of five mosques in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aston</a> area of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Birmingham?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Birmingham</a> were smashed last night. <a href="https://t.co/royGUoAdK1">pic.twitter.com/royGUoAdK1</a></p>— DOAM (@doamuslims) <a href="https://twitter.com/doamuslims/status/1108631726962692096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[the Great Khan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Windows of five mosques in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aston</a> area of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Birmingham?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Birmingham</a> were smashed last night. <a href="https://t.co/royGUoAdK1">pic.twitter.com/royGUoAdK1</a></p>— DOAM (@doamuslims) <a href="https://twitter.com/doamuslims/status/1108631726962692096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

yup get cleaning..do some khutbas about HMC or HFA.."we are terrified" to the media and then wait for the next one..the Muslims of the uk are becoming a joke..

 

[barah_admi]

yup get cleaning..do some khutbas about HMC or HFA.."we are terrified" to the media and then wait for the next one..the Muslims of the uk are becoming a joke..

The attacks happened at night and were done so to avoid any resistance.

Can you suggest what the muslims of the UK should do?

 

[the Great Khan]

The attacks happened at night and were done so to avoid any resistance.

Can you suggest what the muslims of the UK should do?

organise. Organise properly. We need a Mosque security committee for all major mosques in a major city. Pool our resources together..but will this happen..lol..never..ever..so we should stop complaining and live "terrified"..buy new chandeliers, fund raise on the 27th night for a new madrassa..

and then fund raise for another masjid down the road from the last one that hasnt cleared its debts yet..

We have nothing to offer our own or the wider community..nothing..our young are increasingly failing in life, we have social issues but our so called religious leaders talk about topics from 30 years ago..

Our young imams are puray likhay jahils...who parrott what their elders say..

The Muslims of the UK are fast becoming a black hole community..

 

[James]

Sad that we’ve got to this stage in our country, but it may well be that the Muslim community would be best advised now to follow the robust example set by the Jewish community at their synagogues, and ramp up mosque security standards - walls, gates, cameras, guards, thorough vetting prior to admission.

The Jewish community has also created the CST, which trains forces of local volunteer security personnel, in order to work with the police and support Jews across Britain who are often subject to antisemitic abuse and assaults. Perhaps this would also be a good idea for the Muslim community.

Islam is a very open and welcoming religion to everyone, and this could be tricky to reconcile with the implementation of nationwide security measures, but ‘we are where we are’ with Islamophobia in Britain unfortunately.

 

[Robert]

Got to catch and jail these fascists. Anyone knowing of an extremist should make a Prevent referral.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I don't want to belittle these incidents, but they are acts of petty vandalism, possibly carried out by the same person/s overnight. What would be far more worrying is the Juma prayers which occur in mosques across the country every Friday. The NZ slaughter was easy in that regard because the perpetrator knew there is going to be a congregation at the same time and place every week. It is going to cost a lot of public funds for extra policing to keep every city safe for the next couple of weeks.

 

[Tiger96]

Feel bad for the British Muslims who are expected to endure bad times in the future.

 

[Salman]

Will take the "scared" comment with a pinch of salt, the media is known to pick out the ones with the least English vocabulary range to represent the community when they hunting for material.

at no point did anyone one state they are "terrified" apart from the article writer.

 

[Minnowbasher]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] is this also the fault of muslims?

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] is this also the fault of muslims?

By asking me this question, you are showing that you completely misunderstood my post.

 

[The Viper]

Places of worship to get security funding boost

Funding for places of worship scheme set to increase and £5 million for new training programme.

The Home Secretary has boosted funding for next year’s places of worship protective security to £1.6 million to reassure communities and safeguard mosques and other places of worship. This is double the amount awarded last year. In addition a new £5 million fund will be opened to provide security training.

The funding boost, announced in a written ministerial statement, comes after the terror attack in Christchurch claimed the lives of 50 people and injured 40 more. Following the incident, police presence was stepped up at mosques across the UK to reassure communities fearful of similar attacks.

The places of worship fund, established in 2016 as part of the government’s hate crime action plan, provides financial support for physical protective security such as fencing, lighting and CCTV. Government previously committed funding of £2.4 million over 3 years.

So far, more than a third of grants under the places of Worship Protective Funding scheme have been awarded to mosques.

The Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:

The horrific events in New Zealand are a direct attack on the values of tolerance and freedom of worship that unite us all.

Nobody should ever fear persecution of their faith and it’s vital we stand together to reject those who seek to spread hatred and divide us.

I know many Muslim communities are feeling vulnerable and anxious. But they should seek comfort from knowing we are doing everything to tackle hate and extremism.

That’s why we are doubling next year’s places of worship fund - providing physical protection as well as peace of mind.

In addition, the government will open a consultation with faith representatives and organisations including the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group, Tell MAMA, the Independent Advisory Group and other faith representatives and organisations, on improvements to existing policy to protect faith communities.

To increase uptake in the fund and ensure it reaches those most vulnerable to hate crime, the bidding process will also be simplified so organisations no longer have to prove they have previously experienced a hate crime incident directly. In addition the government will be streamlining the supplier arrangements for bidders, after which the programme will open for applications.

Places of worship, including mosques, will also benefit from a new £5 million fund over 3 years to provide protective security training to build on some of the positive work already happening in communities. This is in recognition that physical protective security is only part of the solution, and institutions, their staff and volunteers need to have security understanding to ensure the protective measures work effectively. We will engage closely with communities on the scope of this new scheme to ensure it meets the needs of all places of worship covering security. We will then undertake a competitive process to determine providers of the training and plan to start delivering in 2019 to 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/places-of-worship-to-get-security-funding-boost

 

[PakLFC]

Call me an optimist but most white people and non-Muslims are not like this. Thugs are inspired of incidents like we saw in New Zealand. Masjids do need more security compared to other places of worship in these times.

 

[Saj]

Minority of idiots.

Most people live fine side by side.

However the far right is really trying to stir up trouble in the UK.

 

[The_Odd_One]

That’s what I said when NZ government was going overboard with pro-Muslim actions. These things really rattle people globally who dislike Islam.

 

[gazza619]

Minority of idiots.

Most people live fine side by side.

However the far right is really trying to stir up trouble in the UK.

It doesnt help the fact that Theresa May in reality is a far right herself...

Her lack of empathy for muslims or immigrants in general is not hidden..

 

[Abdullah719]

Anti-Muslim hate crimes soar in UK after Christchurch shootings

The number of anti-Muslim hate crimes reported across Britain increased by 593% in the week after a white supremacist killed worshippers at two New Zealand mosques, an independent monitoring group has said.

The charity Tell Mama said almost all of the increase comprised incidents linked to the Christchurch attacks last Friday, and there had been more recorded hate incidents in the last seven days than in the week after the 2017 Islamist terrorist attack in Manchester.

According to figures passed to the Guardian, 95 incidents were reported to the charity between 15 March, the day of the New Zealand atrocity, and midnight on 21 March. Of those, 85 incidents – 89% of the total – contained direct references to the New Zealand attacks and featured gestures such as mimicking firearms being fired at Muslims.

The news will alarm community groups who may have expected extremists to lie low after the massacre of 50 Muslims in Christchurch, which drew widespread condemnation around the world.

The week-on-week rise in the number of hate crimes directed at Muslims was greater than in the week after the 2016 vote for Britain to leave the EU, and the second biggest weekly increase recorded since 2012 by Tell Mama, which works to encourage reporting of anti-Muslim hate crimes and cooperates closely with the police.

In the last seven days, Muslims in Oxford, Southampton and Colindale, north London, have reported gun gestures or firearms noises being directed at them. In Colindale on Thursday, a mother walking with her daughter reported four youths making gun gestures. In Oxford earlier this week, a woman wearing a hijab said a man made noises mimicking a gun.

Verbal abuse directed at Muslims in London in separate incidents is alleged to have included shouts of “you need to be shot”, “you deserve it” and “Muslims must die”.

Incidents were reported in Scotland, where a mosque was attacked; in Stanwell, Surrey, where police declared the stabbing of a teenager to be a suspected far-right terror attack; and in Lancashire. Meanwhile in Birmingham, police continue to hunt for those behind sledgehammer attacks on five mosques.

Iman Atta, the director of Tell Mama, said the figures showed a troubling rise. “This shows that some people see Muslims as fair game for hate and it is now clear that we have an ongoing and persistent ideology of hate that is generating a focus on Muslims,” he said. “Muslims in New Zealand were killed and British Muslims feel the anger of bigots. It is perverse.”

Most of the incidents recorded by Tell Mama were carried out in person rather than online. Perpetrators either thought they would not be caught or were so emboldened that they were not concerned about possible consequences, according to the charity.

Of the 85 incidents linked directly to the New Zealand shooting, 40 were online abuse and 45 were carried out in person.

The real figures are likely to be higher. Only some hate crimes incidents are reported, with victims often feeling there is no point complaining.

Furthermore, the figures count only abuse directed at Muslims who then report it to a charity well known in Britain’s Muslim communities. Incidents directed at other ethnic minorities have not been recorded or included in the figures.

Tell Mama usually receives reports of about 30-35 incidents a week. In the seven days before the Christchurch attacks, 16 incidents were reported – an unusually low number.

The week after the Manchester attack the charity recorded the highest week-on-week increase in the number of hate incidents – a 700% rise. But more hate incidents were reported to the charity last week.

A rise in the number of hate crimes was also recorded by Tell Mama and police immediately after the June 2016 Brexit vote.

In January Britain’s leading counter-terrorism officer, Neil Basu, told the Guardian he feared Brexit tensions could lead to a rise in hate crime and also warned the issue could be exploited by rightwing extremists. “My concern is the polarisation, and I fear the far-right politicking and rhetoric leads to a rise in hate crime and a rise in disorder,” he said.

Police said extra police patrols were deployed on Britain’s streets on Friday, especially around lunchtime which is the time of the main weekly prayers for Muslims.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...rimes-soar-in-uk-after-christchurch-shootings

 

[KingKhanWC]

That’s what I said when NZ government was going overboard with pro-Muslim actions. These things really rattle people globally who dislike Islam.

The coward who hid at night to smash a few window was inspired by the far right terrorist not by the people of NZ.

This is nothing new. Many years ago a few drunken lads thought it would be funny to vandalise a mosque while walking back home at night. But they did not realise it was Ramadan and the mosque was full of Muslims. Sadly for them, a few young youths came out and sent them in an ambulance.

No amount of far right will ever confront Muslims in the UK face to face, they would get smashed.

 

[Bilal7]

That’s what I said when NZ government was going overboard with pro-Muslim actions. These things really rattle people globally who dislike Islam.

Good. Let them burn as see Islam and Muslims glorified in their homelands. Every time someone does something like this, many more people come out and show support and even convert. Meanwhile, the closet bigots and racists keep getting locked up and their far-right ideology further alienates the majority of their countrymen.

Like Sheikh Hamza Yusuf said, it is better to be the oppressed than the oppressor. However, this does not mean that we should not be vigilant about protecting our community members. Apart from the city-provided extra-security, there should also be cameras and other security features implemented in most mosques.

 

[Bewal Express]

People have been arrested.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...d-after-windows-smashed-at-birmingham-mosques