Members say it is the fifth time the place of worship in Stockport has been targeted
Members of Elaf Masjid have spoken out after the mosque was ransacked hours after Eid celebrations(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Jubilation turned to heartbreak in a matter of hours as a Stockport mosque was ransacked. Muslims across Greater Manchester celebrated Eid al-Fitr, following the month of Ramadan, on Friday (March 20).
But as members of one mosque returned for early morning prayers today (Saturday), their spirits were dampened. Elaf Masjid, in Cheadle Heath, was broken into overnight – with the suspect causing damage believed to be worth more than £30,000.
It’s the latest incident to hit the mosque, which has already been targeted by vandals and burglars multiple times in the 12 months since it opened. The latest culprit was captured approaching the mosque on CCTV – but then the footage ends, as the offender damaged the system and tripped the power circuit.
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They damaged windows, the front door and lock box as they forced their way in, before taking an estimated £5,000 in cash – which would have gone towards the mosque’s running and to support people in need. They also destroyed a new sound system installed before Ramadan, worth £6,000.
A bookshelf of Qurans was damaged, with the books thrown onto the floor. Classrooms were also targeted, with children’s toys scattered on the floor and cupboards broken into, while the offender callously cranked up the boiler’s temperature from 21 degrees to 88 degrees.
Items were trashed in the incident(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Ben Pickering, 38, was the first to see the damage when he turned up at 5.23am. “This incident has caused significant distress within the local community,” he said. “It occurred the morning after Eid, one of the most important days in the Islamic calendar, when the mosque had just been attended by large numbers of families and children.”
Members of the mosque say it has been targeted five times since it opened last year, leaving many members of the community feeling ‘vulnerable and anxious’. However, it’s understood the incident is not currently being treated as a hate crime by Greater Manchester Police.
Dr Junayed Ahmed, 40, is one of the regular worshippers at Elaf Masjid. “We feel like we are being targeted because we are Muslim, but whether the police have enough evidence to go on whether it’s hate or not, I don’t know,” he said.
A door was damaged by the offender(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“It’s a really horrible incident. We’ve looked at the damage they have caused. They have gone through a significant area of the mosque, ransacking the place, clearly trying to cause some sort of havoc.”
Dr Ahmed believes that a rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric in political debate has ‘enabled’ a minority of people ‘to feel like they can do what they want’. He added: “I was born in Britain, raised in Britain.
“I’m an intensive care doctor, for more than a decade I’ve worked in the NHS. Just because my skin colour is different and my religion is different, it doesn’t make me any less British than someone else.”
A window boarded up at the mosque(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Fellow worshipper Dr Ahmed Choudhury, 48, says the incident shows ‘how far people go to make your lives difficult’. “We’re always looking over our shoulder,” he added.
Rahim Saif, 23, hopes incidents like it are ‘not allowed to become normalised’. “For many of us, the mosque is more than just a place of worship,” he said.
“It is where we gather with friends and family, where young people come to learn, and where the community finds a sense of peace. To see if being targeted like this, again and again, is not just upsetting, it is frightening.
Cupboards were broken and searched(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“I have lived in Stockport my whole life and I have never felt this level of fear or concern within my own community. To feel that a place we rely on for safety and unity is being repeatedly targeted is something that is very difficult to process.”
Forensic investigators were seen in attendance at the mosque earlier today. An investigation is underway and witnesses are being urged to come forward.
A GMP spokesperson said: “Officers in Stockport have stepped up patrols and are reviewing CCTV after a burglary on Stockport Road in Cheadle Heath, Stockport. The break-in was reported to us this morning after being discovered at around 6am today (March 21).
Forensics at the scene(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“A number of items are believed to have been stolen, including cash and electrical items – anyone with information can contact us quoting log 594-21/3/26. There is a scene at the location and our officers will remain there today.”
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support Elaf Masjid following the break-in. Find out more and donate here.