Widespread revulsion over attack on mosque

CHURCH and public representatives have joined in the condemnation of the break-in and vandalising of a mosque in Galway city over the weekend.

Damage – estimated to be in the region of €2,000 – was caused in the attack on the mosque at Ballybrit in the early hours of Monday morning last.

Several windows were broken, locks were smashed and furniture was damaged in an act of vandalism similar to one that occurred there in July of 2017.

One of the difficulties for investigating Gardaí is that the vandals also stole the hard-drive containing the footage from CCTV cameras in place at the centre of worship for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.

This week, a Garda Spokesperson appealed for anyone with information relating to the attack on the mosque – that was unoccupied at the time – to make contact with them at Galway’s Mill Street Station (091-538000).

Gardaí are understood to be investigating the possibility of what are described as a ‘far right’ group having some involvement in the incident – the fact that the CCTV hard-drive was taken is an indication of a degree of planning that went into the attack, Gardaí believe.

Earlier this week Waterford native, Imam Ibrahim Noonan, one of the driving forces behind the construction of the Mosque at Ballybrit, indicated that he had received warnings of a possible attack on the building and of threats to himself.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.