Mosque elders have condemned a 'deplorable' disturbance outside an Islamic centre in which a man was injured and graffiti was daubed onto the walls of the building and onto a car parked outside. The Manchester Council of Mosques said they believed it to be an 'isolated incident linked to the ongoing situation in Iran'.
In a statement to the Manchester Evening News , the council said it does not believe 'there is a wider risk of such incidents escalating to the majority of mosques and Islamic centres in the city'.
The congregation of the Manchester Islamic Centre, on Sidney Street off Oxford Road in the city centre, is the Shia community with many of Iranian heritage, elders said.
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The statement followed Greater Manchester Police saying patrols around mosques and Islamic centres across Greater Manchester would be increased in response to the disturbance and disturbances reported during protests held in Manchester city centre earlier on Sunday.
One man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage in connection with the incident at Manchester Islamic Centre.
Protests have taken place across the world following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. The 22-year-old woman died in police custody after being arrested for breaking hijab laws.
Protesters clashed with police outside the Iranian embassy in London on Sunday as they called for an end to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the embassy in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge. Scotland Yard said several officers were injured and 12 people were arrested.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, the welfare officer for the Manchester Council of Mosques, said in a statement: "Any incident of violence or anti-social behaviour at a mosque is deplorable and must be condemned in the strongest possible manner.
"Greater Manchester Police are still investigating the matter, but we believe that this is an isolated incident that is linked to the ongoing situation in Iran.
"The congregation of the Manchester Islamic Centre in the city centre is the Shia community and many of them are of Iranian heritage. We do not believe there is a wider risk of such incidents escalating to the majority of mosques and Islamic centres in the city."
Shia Muslims make up the vast majority of the population of Iran.
In a statement, GMP said: "At around 11.20pm last night - Sunday - we received a report of a disturbance involving a large group of people at the Islamic Centre on Sidney Street. Officers attended and established that one man had sustained a small cut to his face whilst external walls of the building and a vehicle parked outside had been vandalised, with graffiti making reference to recent events in Iran. One man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and remains in police custody for questioning.
"Earlier in the day, there had been disturbances during protests in the centre."
Superintendent Ian Jones, of GMP's City of Manchester district, said: "We understand the concern these incidents will cause our communities so have increased patrols in locations of significance, both to reassure people and keep them safe.
"Meanwhile, enquiries are ongoing in relation to the disturbances - with officers following a number of lines of enquiry to identify those responsible for these crimes and send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester."
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