Hate Crime: Thugs Attack Mosque Full Of Worshippers With Firebomb In Western Australia

Unidentified thugs have attacked a mosque in Western Australia with a petrol bomb, in what has been described as a hate crime.

The attack happened in the city of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, on June 28. According to eyewitness accounts, the hooligans detonated their explosives just outside the Australian Islamic College, targeting worshippers in the Thornlie Mosque. Hundreds of worshippers were attending an evening prayer service when the incident happened. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the attack.

However, a number of cars were destroyed. Four vehicles belonging to worshippers were gutted completely by fire. The vehicles had been parked in front of the mosque

The city’s police confirmed that anti-Islamic graffiti was found spray-painted on the wall of the mosque. CNN reports that the hooligans sprayed and painted the words “F*** Islam” on the wall of the mosque.

Thornlie Mosque Imam Yahya Adel Ibrahim told CNN that worshippers ran outside the mosque to take cover when they heard one of the cars explode. He also said the incident has scared worshippers, with many questioning why they were attacked.

“Most people were in dismay and alarm, asking, ‘why us really? Don’t they know that there’s children inside?’ This is a place of prayer. The fear and apprehension, the neighborhood is quite traumatized by it. This is a residential area; there are homes ten feet across the road,” Imam Ibrahim said.

Mr Ibrahim later wrote about the incident on his Facebook page. Many people condemned the attack, showing strong support for the Muslim community in the city.

Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, also publicly condemned the attack. He said Australia has a fundamental foundation of mutual respect, urging the security forces to go after the hooligans. PM Turnbull was quoted as saying: “I deplore and I cannot condemn strongly enough any attacks of that kind.”

Western Australia’s police spokeswoman said three people were seen running down an alleyway next to the mosque after the attack. She added that investigators are handling the case with diligence in order to punish the thugs responsible for the attack.

The area’s local member of parliament, Chris Tallentire, visited the mosque and condemned the attack. He said: “I feel sick that you have to endure attacks like this. The truth is that this was an attack on all of us.”

Aljazeera reports that at the last national census in Australia in 2011, it was documented that Muslims make up about 3% of the 24 million people of the country counted at the time.

@yahya_ibrahim ? sorry to see this, what a despicable act, hate will never win

— Ryan Northover (@RyanNorthover) June 28, 2016

Australia is due to vote in a general election on July 2. Observers say an attack like this could even discourage people from exercising their fundamental rights, and that all necessary measures should be taken to ensure peace in the country.

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