Vandals carried out two attacks in one night on a Manchester mosque on April 10. They were captured on camera as they removed fencing and threw bricks through the windows. The vandalism is the latest in a series of Islamophobic attacks on the mosque in Liverpool Road, Eccles. CCTV cameras were installed after a break-in in 2006 when intruders caused extensive damage. Local officers are now providing reassurance to religious leaders and members of the community by holding a series of meetings with the Eccles mosque committee and conducting high visibility joint patrols with a committee member in the local area. Eccles Mosque Chair, Ali Anees, told The Muslim News, “We have had problems regularly. In March, someone threw paint over the outside of the mosque and wrote graffiti. “Then at about 2am last Saturday two men got into the grounds. One is on film throwing bricks which had been taken from a wall of a neighbouring building. They attacked the building twice in about 20 minutes. “Three sections of the windows were smashed and bricks were found inside the office of the mosque. We had another incident in March when eggs were thrown at people leaving the mosque by people driving past. After the damaged caused in 2006, they have spent £425,000 on new buildings. “We have up to 500 members and they are very angry about the attacks. We want the culprits caught.” One vandal is seen to hurl at least five bricks through windows and temporary fencing is pulled down.
In a statement to The Muslim News Sergeant Tom Martin from Salford South Neighbourhood Policing Team said, “We are working closely with members of the mosque to ensure this type of incidents doesn’t happen again. Existing CCTV cameras have been reviewed to maximize their potential and a local resident has agreed to remove loose bricks outside his home in order to prevent them from being used to cause further damage. “I can reassure the community that we do not tolerate this kind of vandalism and we will do everything possible to bring the offenders to justice. If residents have any concerns what so ever, they can contact a member of my team.”
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