LONDON: A Muslim community in the UK are living in fear after a pig’s head was left on the roof of their mosque, Metro reported.
Members of Heatons Muslims Community Trust in Manchester say that the animal’s head was discovered in a visible part of the building at about 9 p.m. on Dec. 9.
The incident was reported to the police, who logged the event as an Islamophobic hate crime.
HMCT trustee Mohammed Tayyab Mohiuddin said that the building’s CCTV footage from the evening showed a car pulling up with two people inside.
One of the individuals was carrying a rubbish bag that was visible when they exited the vehicle.
Mohiuddin added that the car’s registration plate was recorded.
He said: “In the evening, we have a bit of a gathering at the community center and some people came out and someone said, ‘There’s a pig’s head on the roof.’
“It’s a short roof, so it was easy to see. I think they have picked that point in order to terrify people. Everyone knows someone has placed it there and what their intentions were.
“In our religion, we are not allowed to eat pig’s meat or handle it in any way so someone has done it specifically for that reason.
“We have a lot of elderly people and a lot of children who use the center, and obviously they are a bit terrified that someone is targeting us and fear in the future someone could go further or take a wrong step.”
The HMCT said in a statement: “A pig’s head was placed on the roof, in what looks like a hate crime. Unfortunately, this behavior is not a one-off occurrence.
“In survey data released earlier this year, by Muslim Census and Muslim Engagement and Development, it was reported that almost half (42 percent) of mosques or Islamic institutions surveyed have experienced religiously motivated attacks in the last three years.
“Seventeen percent of mosques from the 42 percent reported having faced physical abuse directed at staff or worshipers, including the stabbing of a muezzin in 2020.
“The HMCT asks local residents and worshipers to remain vigilant and report any hate to the police.”
