Petrol bomb attack on mosque in Milton Keynes

BBC News and local papers, Milton Keynes Citizen and MK News, report on the suspected arson attack on the Zainabia Islamic Centre, also known as Granby mosque, in Milton Keynes on Thursday night.

A bottle containing flammable liquid was thrown onto the roof of the mosque and luckily put out by members who were nearby at the time before it could ignite and cause serious damage.

Det Insp Nick Glister, leading the investigation, said: “We are currently in the infancy of the investigation and details are limited at this time.

“I would like to thank all the people who assisted us last night at the mosque and appeal to anyone who has information about this incident to contact us.

“There were people inside the mosque at the time of the incident and this could have been far worse had it not been for the quick actions of the people who were standing outside the mosque at the time.”

Shabir Sabur, president of Zainabia Islamic Centre, told the local paper,

“Such acts committed by individuals or groups can never divide the nation. These criminals and terrorists must never be allowed to win, with all our communities and the nation united in our determination to fight off all forms of criminal and extreme behaviour and hate crimes, from whichever quarter it comes from.”

Fazilat Shivji, who witnessed the incident, told BBC News, “I think I am more scared now than at 9/11, which is surprising.”

“The vilification of Islam and Muslims is getting worse day by day and incidents like [Woolwich] don’t help at all, but these are fringe elements.”

The Granby mosque has been targetted before when it was spray painted with racist graffiti in September 2011. A shed near the mosque was also set alight and burned down in the attack.