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Manchester mosque arson attack is 'hate crime', police say | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A suspected arson attack at a Manchester mosque is being treated as a "hate crime", police said. | |
An investigation has been launched after a fire at the NASFAT Islamic Centre building in Droylsden Road. | |
People were "understandably shocked" a place of worship had been attacked, Det Ch Insp Paul Walker of Greater Manchester Police said. | |
Five fire engines tackled the blaze at about 23:45 BST on Sunday. A prayer room and three classrooms were damaged. | |
Mosque spokesman Shamusideen Oladimeji said there had been two other arson attacks at the centre in the past three years. | |
There had also been other incidents, including pigs' heads being thrown into the building, people urinating outside and verbal abuse, he added. | |
Police said investigations so far found someone approached the building and forced open a window before placing an "unknown accelerant" inside. | |
Det Ch Insp Walker added: "We are investigating this as a hate crime which has damaged a place of worship used by members of the Nigerian community." | |
He asked anyone in the area at the time to contact police and said patrols would be stepped up to reassure the public. | |
"No one should be the subject of hate and intolerance", he said. | |
Local Labour councillor John Flanagan said: "This has been a dreadful attack on a place of faith. This is not just an attack on the Muslim faith but on all of us." | |
Mr Flanagan said a local community centre had offered space for Friday prayers and he added he had been inundated with offers of help. | |
Mr Oladimeji said: "We don't know why this happened. We try to be good neighbours and we try to be involved with our local community." | |
Deen Mayodole, vice-chairman of the mosque, added: "We are people of peace." | Deen Mayodole, vice-chairman of the mosque, added: "We are people of peace." |
Nasfat (Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fathi Society of Nigeria) opened the centre in 2009 and it has about 300 members. | Nasfat (Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fathi Society of Nigeria) opened the centre in 2009 and it has about 300 members. |