Windows smashed as mosques in Birmingham attacked with ball bearings
Armed police were deployed after ball bearings were fired from what is thought to be a heavy duty catapult at two mosques.
Thursday 16 August 2018 15:31, UK
Armed police were deployed after ball bearings were fired at two mosques in Birmingham from what is thought to be a heavy duty catapult.
Officers were called to Masjid Qamarul Islam on Fosbrooke Road, Small Heath, at around 11pm on Wednesday, and to Al-Hijrah mosque on Hob Moor Road.
The attacks come days after 29-year-old Salih Khater, who is from the city, was arrested after a car collided with cyclists and pedestrians and crashed into a security barrier in Westminster.
Naveed Sadiq, who prays at Al-Hijrah mosque, told Sky News he felt the attacks were probably "connected" to what happened in London.
He said such attacks in his "peace-loving community" were rare, but after "one person's action", the rest of the community is having to "pick up the pieces".
West Midlands Police said it had recovered some ball bearings which smashed windows during evening prayers.
They appeared to have been fired from a substantial catapult, officers added.
Police are patrolling the area to reassure residents, and say a motive is unclear at this stage.
A trustee of Birmingham Central Mosque, Nassar Mahmood, has said Muslims are facing "unprecedented" levels of Islamophobia at present.
Speaking after what happened in Westminster on Tuesday, he said women are particularly affected because their style of dress makes them "quite visible".
He has asked the media not to speculate on why the Westminster incident happened, adding: "We would ask you to be cautious of apportioning blame to the Muslim community.
"We are shocked and saddened by this just the same as everybody else."
Anyone with information on the mosque attacks is asked to call 101.