NEW DELHI: A 34-year-old man has been detained under the Mental Health Act after five Birmingham mosques had their windows smashed with a sledgehammer in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The suspect claimed responsibility of the attack and surrended before the police.
Five mosques are:
Witton Islamic Centre, Witton Road, Aston
Masjid Madrassa Faizal Islam, The Broadway, Perry Barr
Al Habib Trust, Birchfield Road, Aston
Jamia Mosque, Albert Road, Aston
Ghousia Mosque, Slade Road, Erdington
Al-Habib Trust on Birchfield Road is one of four mosques attacked overnight in #Birmingham
11 windows were broken here with a sledgehammer. pic.twitter.com/lalqznUrX7
— Free Radio News (@freeradionews) March 21, 2019
Five #Birmingham mosques vandalised with sledgehammer overnight#UK pic.twitter.com/zC5uKpyp3g
— Daffy Duck (@Roadrun92407669) March 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/HaouaBen3/status/1108995983524929536
However, at this stage in the investigation, a West Midlands Police are not looking for anyone else in connection to the mosque attacks.
The police do not believe that the suspect from Perry Barr was part of an organised network.
A sixth vandalism occurred on a madrasa in Balsall Heath on Saturday 23 March at 6.30am, but police have not linked the incident to previous five attacks that happened on Thursday.
Increased patrols will continue and security advice is being provided to religious establishments across the West Midlands.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/two-birmingham-mosques-attacked-ball-bearings-1393549/”]Two Birmingham mosques attacked with ball bearings[/also_read]
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Ward said: “We continue to work in partnership with mosques and local communities around the West Midlands.
“There will be a visual police presence at key locations to offer reassurance to our communities.
“It is incredibly important that we unite together against those who seek to create discord, uncertainty and fear.”
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the vandalism was “deeply concerning”.
He tweeted: “@WMPolice are investigating motive but let me be clear – hateful behaviour has absolutely no place in our society & will never be accepted.”
In response to the mosque attacks, an anti-Islamophobia march was organised in Birmingham city center later on March 23.
People on social media react to the attacks.
Shocking. #Birmingham mosques attacked, windows smashed with sledgehammers.
Especially after #Christchurch It's a shameful sign of our times that places of worships are being targeted https://t.co/H6WPWy3Exw
— Jack Mendel ✍️ (@Mendelpol) March 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/KhaledBeydoun/status/1108705531009617920