The imam of an Islamic centre says his mosque was targeted because of links to the Iranian government - which he denies.
Police are continuing to appeal for information after a group of ten people sprayed graffiti on the walls of the building in what has been called a 'politically motivated' incident.
The disturbance, which occurred late on Sunday night (September 25) at the Islamic Centre on Sidney Street, Manchester, also saw a man injured after challenging the group's behaviour. Imam and trustee at the mosque and Islamic Centre Seyed Avaei told the MEN that he believes the vandal’s were trying to send a message to the Iranian government but says their anger was misplaced.
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Speaking to the MEN he said: “This place does not belong to government. If they want to protest and send their voice, they have to at least go to the embassy.
“The mosque is a gathering for worship, we do not interfere in political issues. We don’t have anything in our programme that deals with politics.
“We have worshippers who come here who are pro government and anti government. Some people know we are Iranian and they think this place somehow belongs to the supreme leader.
“This is a registered charity we work here by the standards of the UK charity. We work here by observing the law in this area and country, we want peace and we do not interfere in politics at all."
Seyed told the MEN that he believes the alleged links to the Iranian government came from the centre hosting Shia scholars who had links to the government. However, he said that it is custom for Islamic Centres to host scholars and it was not ‘something new or political’.
Police have since said they will be stepping up patrols around mosques and Islamic centres in Greater Manchester following the 'disturbance' amid protests taking place across the world following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. Officers believe the incident to be linked to a protest in the city centre earlier in the day and have now launched an investigation.
There was a global outpouring of anger over the death of Ms Amini, who was arrested by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her Islamic headscarf too loosely. The police said she died of a heart attack and was not mistreated, but her family has cast doubt on that account.
Superintendent Ian Jones, of GMPs City of Manchester division, said: “Since last night we have launched a full investigation into this incident and as previously reported we have made one arrest of a male on suspicion of criminal damage. We believe that the incident was politically motivated, linked to recent events in Iran, and followed on from a protest in the city centre earlier in the day.
"I’d like to reassure our local communities that we have increased patrols to keep people safe by minimising the risk of any further disorder. We are following up on a number of lines of enquiry and I would ask that anyone with information contacts police at the earliest opportunity.
“I’d like to re-iterate that public disorder and use of violence will not be tolerated. Everyone has the right to protest, however, putting peoples safety at risk and causing fear as well as criminal damage is never acceptable."
The Manchester Evening News reported earlier on Monday that Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, the welfare officer for the Manchester Council of Mosques, said: "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."
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