A man has been charged for allegedly threatening Muslim worshippers at a Brisbane mosque, claiming to have a gun. The incident has sparked condemnation from Australia's peak Islamic body regarding rising anti-Muslim sentiment.
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Australia’s peak Islamic body has condemned growing “anti-Muslim sentiment”, after a man allegedly threatened worshippers at a Brisbane mosque on Sunday, falsely claiming to have a gun.
The man is alleged to have attended the Masjid Taqwa in Bald Hills, Brisbane at about 10.46am on Sunday and threatened worshippers who were praying in the mosque.
According to the Australian National Imams Council, the man entered the mosque and made threats, claiming to have an AK-47 in his vehicle outside.
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The Guardian understands the man was not armed and was alerted to the presence of worshippers by a large amount of shoes outside the building.
On Monday, Queensland police charged a 33-year-old man for disturbing a place of worship and creating a public nuisance.
“No one was physically injured, and the man fled the scene prior to police arrival,” a Queensland police spokesperson said.
A man is due to appear before Brisbane magistrates court on 22 May.
The council described the alleged incident as “deeply disturbing” and “a grave violation of the sanctity, safety, and security of a place of worship”.
“Places of worship must remain sanctuaries of peace, reflection, and safety. Any act of intimidation, threats, or hatred directed towards worshippers is utterly unacceptable, unequivocally condemned, and must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” council president Imam Shadi Alsuleiman said.
The mosque has separately been the target of anti-Muslim graffiti, Nazi symbols and Islamophobic abuse, according to the council.
In two separate and unrelated incidents last September, the Islamic College of Brisbane allegedly received a threatening email, and the Arundel mosque on the Gold Coast received an alleged bomb hoax.
Imam Shadi said the repeated incidents raise serious concerns about escalating hostility faced by Muslim communities across the country.
He said Islamophobia had been fuelled by “divisive narratives and rhetoric promoted by sections of the media and certain political figures, contributing to fear, hostility, and the marginalisation of Muslim communities across Australia”.
A man allegedly threatened worshippers at the Masjid Taqwa mosque, falsely claiming to have an AK-47 in his vehicle.
Australia's peak Islamic body condemned the incident, highlighting the growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.
No, the man was not armed despite claiming to have a gun outside the mosque.
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“The safety and sense of security of the Muslim community have been undermined, and there is growing concern about the increasing normalisation of anti-Muslim sentiment, threats, intimidation, and acts of hatred directed towards Australian Muslims and their places of worship,” Imam Shadi said.
A police spokesperson said there was no ongoing threat to public safety.