Jawatankuasa Masjid Birmingham telah mengesahkan bahawa terdapat sekurang-kurangnya tiga buah masjid yang telah diserang dengan menggunakan tukul besi.
Pihak polis West Midlands juga mendakwa dua orang orang telah diserang dalam insiden semalam. Dan Pusat Islam Witton Road adalah antara premis yang menjadi mangsa serangan itu.
Sharafat Ali, Imam di Pusat Islam Witton berkata terdapat tujuh tingkap dan dua buah pintu telah dimusnahkan. Kejadian itu dianggarkan berlaku pada jam 1.30 sehingga 2.00 pagi tadi (khamis).
Ali juga memaklumkan bahawa kebih dari 40 orang jemaah akan datang ke sini untuk menunaikan solat subuh. Manakala pada hari jumaat, jumlah itu akan bertambah menjadi beratus-ratus orang.
“Esok adalah hari jumaat dan saya tidak tahu apa yang berlaku. Kami telah meminta pihak polis menjaga keselamatan di sekitar kawasan ini.”
Menurut Ali, dia sudah berada di kawasan Witton selama 30 tahun dan serangan yang telah berlaku di dua masjid New Zealand itu ternyata telah membuatkan para jemaah di sini bimbang.
Dipercayai bahawa masjid yang diserang adalah masjid yang berada di kawasan Handsworth, Aston dan Witton. Pihak polis meminta sesiapa sahaja untuk berhati-hati dan tidak teragak-agak untuk melaporkan sebarang aktiviti yang mencurigakan.
Birmingham mosque attacks probed by terrorism officers
Five mosques in Birmingham have been targeted in a string of violent attacks overnight and into the morning.
Reports of a man smashing windows with a sledgehammer on Birchfield Road were received at 02:30 GMT, police said.
Officers were then alerted to a similar attack in Erdington about 45 minutes later, with more in Aston and Perry Barr reported. Another on Albert Road was struck at 10:00 GMT.
The Home Secretary called the vandalism "deeply concerning and distressing".
West Midlands Police said it was yet to establish a motive and officers from its Counter Terrorism Unit were investigating.
A spokesperson for Witton Islamic Centre on Witton Road, Aston, said CCTV captures a man smashing windows at about 01:30.
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"The whole of the front windows, about six, were smashed," he said.
"Because of the force he used it's gone through the windows and into the mosque itself".
Councillor Majid Mahmood tweeted a video of the clean-up taking place at the centre.
Skip Twitter post by @CllrMajid
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Cllr Majid Mahmood 🌹
@CllrMajid
Unfortunately the Witton Road Islamic Centre was attacked overnight by an individual who used a sledgehammer to break the windows.
I said last week that Muslims were afraid after the terrorist attacks in #ChristChurch
We need support in Brum @WMPolice.
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3:45 PM - Mar 21, 2019 · Birmingham, England
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End of Twitter post by @CllrMajid
Councillor John Cotton, cabinet member for social inclusion, community safety and equalities with Birmingham City Council, said he was "appalled" by the violence and was working with police to find those responsible.
He tweeted: "These thugs do not speak for Birmingham and will not divide us."
Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Dave Thompson said: "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."
Image copyrightCOUNCILLOR MAJID MAHMOOD
Image caption
Councillor Majid Mahmood tweeted a video of smashed windows at the Witton Islamic Centre
A statement from the Birmingham Council of Mosques said: "We were deeply horrified to hear a number of mosques were vandalised during the early hours of this morning.
"Birmingham's mosques are a place of worship, serenity and a source of peace and tranquillity. We are appalled by such acts of hate/terror."
The MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood, said the attacks were "truly terrible".
Mr Thompson added: "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."
Post time 21-3-2019 08:23 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
4 masjid di England diserang dengan tukul besar
AFP - March 21, 2019 8:12 PM 5 minutes read
Polis sedang menyiasat serangan terhadap 4 masjid di Birmingham. (Gambar Reuters)
LONDON: Empat masjid di bandar Birmingham, England diserang malam tadi, oleh seorang lelaki bersenjatakan tukul besar yang dilihat memecahkan tingkap di 2 rumah ibadat, kata polis hari ini.
Anggota polis anti-pengganas sedang menyiasat serangan terhadap masjid di 4 kawasan berbeza di utara bandar itu, kata Polis Midlands Barat dalam kenyataan hari ini.
Polis berkata siasatan menganggap kejadian-kejadian itu berkaitan.
“Ketika ini kita tidak tahu apakah motif serangan malam tadi,” kata Ketua Konstabel Dave Thompson dalam kenyataan.
“Apa yang saya boleh beritahu adalah polis dan unit anti-pengganas berusaha mencari orang yang bertanggungjawab.”
Polis pada awal pagi semalam menerima laporan tentang seorang lelaki memecahkan tingkap salah satu rumah ibadat dengan tukul besar.
Polis melancarkan rondaan bersasaran dan menemui kerosakan di 2 lagi rumah ibadat selepas menerima laporan mengenai serangan sama di sebuah lagi masjid di satu kawasan kejiranan.
“Anggota forensik sedang berusaha mengenalpasti bukti, dan CCTV sedang dikaji,” kata polis.
Ketua-ketua polis British minggu lepas mengumumkan anggota digerakkan untuk membuat rondaan keselamatan di masjid-masjid susulan serangan maut di New Zealand pada Jumaat.
Kumpulan-kumpulan anti-rasisme memberi amaran Islamophobia semakin memburuk di Britain dan menyebabkan peningkatan aktiviti golongan haluan kanan di negara itu.
Post time 21-3-2019 08:28 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Teringat zaman akak study dulu..separuh rakan kelas pi sambung degree kat UK...aku pun nak pi tapi mak kata..jangan pi ..nanti balik bawak mayat. ..hehe. .so X jadilah pi ..
So anak aku pun aku xkan bagi pi luar negeri. phobia aku baca kes2 macam ni....
Post time 22-3-2019 06:05 AMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Brits are slaves to gypsies in their own country. Brits are also sex slaves to pakistanis there. Pakistanis in turn are slaves to other people in other countries