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August 11, 2006

UK: Cheshire Mosque Is Attacked Again

News from ITV and ic coventry states that an arson attack happened at a mosque in Blacon, near Chester in Cheshire, last night, shortly before midnight.

An accelerant was poured through the door at the mosque, while worshippers were inside. The people inside the building managed to extinguish the fire and no-one was hurt. Only minor damage was caused to the building.

Police said the incident was a "faith hate" crime, but it was too early to say if it was linked to the discovery of the Muslim terror plot to bomb nine planes,. This had been reported upon earlier in the day. The media had been awash with tales of the plot and its effects upon air travellers stuck in airports, as well as details of arrests of suspects, throughout the day.

As we reported last year, the Shahjalal mosque in Clifton Drive, the only mosque in the town, was attacked in a similar fashion.

That event had coincided with a religious festival called Lailat-ul Bura'at, the Night of the Records. The service was taking place at around 1.15 am on Monday, 19 September, when a fire was started outside a side-door of the building. The 20 people inside smelled the smoke coming through the door, and were able to put it our.

We stated: Asian representatives say it was certainly racially motivated. Earlier in the year, windows in the mosque were smashed, followed by months of calm, until this arson incident. Mosque leaders have met with police to "boost relations" and discuss the problems.

A search though archives has led me to another account from last year, from the Chester Chronicle. At that time, mosque leaders were concerned that the incidents had been connected with the bombings in London two months earlier on 7/7.

However, the previous incidents of violence point to poor inter-faith tolerance in the area from some elements of the community. A fire had been started at the same doorway before 7/7, and also car windows had been smashed outside the mosque, and the mosque's windows had been smashed.

In one incident which happened before 7/7, the mosque worshippers had taken off their shoes, which is customary, to enter the building. When they came outside, the footwear had been stolen.

However, in the immediate aftermath of 7/7, the mosque leader had been threatened.

Sergeant Dave Barter, of the Community Action Team, said then: "It has to be recognised that Chester and Blacon is very well integrated by and large. This is the work of a small minority of mindless idiots."

It would not be surprising if the attack upon the mosque last night may have been done by people angered by the news of a further Muslim terror plot. But it would also not be surprising if the action was made by young hooligans, rather than from any organised body.

What is worrying is the way in which last September's arson attack, and the one from last night, had happened while people were inside the building. Terrorists obviously do not care about others' lives, but to act in a way to endanger life is more than irresponsible, and should be stopped before people get seriously hurt, or worse.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at August 11, 2006 3:53 PM

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