A suspicious device has been found outside a mosque and an imam’s house has been firebombed in Bolton, northern England, in a suspected targeted set of attacks.
A suspicious package containing a battery pack was found outside the Zakariyya Jaam'e Masjid on Wednesday morning, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Later that day, the home of local imam, Hassan Patel, also located in Bolton, was subjected to a firebomb arson attack.
CCTV footage shows a man wearing a helmet and black clothing approaching the driveway of Patel’s home, before lighting an object, smashing a window and lighting what appears to be an accelerant.
Patel, 42, lives in the home with his wife, four children and nephew. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said that all seven residents escaped uninjured.
A police spokesperson said an investigation was under way but no arrests had yet been made.
"We as a family are devastated by the serious and callous arson attack that targeted our home. It was daylight at the time. This was clearly a dangerous and deliberate act that put our lives at risk,” Patel said.
Greater Manchester Police have issued an appeal for information after a suspected arson attack on the home of an Imam in Bolton last night. Footage shows a masked man throwing a lit object through a front window. The Patel family were safely evacuated by emergency services and… pic.twitter.com/Q9xixsro3s
He added that he was a Bolton resident who proactively engaged with “people of all faiths and no faith”.
“At this stage, we understand that the incident is not being treated as a hate crime,” Patel said.
“However, given the circumstances and the impact this attack has had on us, we believe it is essential that all possible motives are thoroughly examined and that no line of inquiry is ruled out prematurely.”
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples, of GMP, said that such incidents were unacceptable and no member of the community should be made to feel threatened or intimidated.
"We understand this incident may cause concern within the community; we are working to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We believe this was a targeted attack, and there is no risk to the wider public,” he added.
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, who was born in the nearby area of Salford, criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to condemn the attack.
"It's pretty disgraceful that there has been absolutely no mention of this from the Prime Minister,” Polanski wrote on X.
"It's increasingly clear that some attacks, correctly, warrant disgust, emergency measures and days of media coverage. Others seem to be met with silence."
Yasmin Qureshi, the local Labour MP for the area, said the two incidents had left people feeling anxious walking the streets and attending the mosque with their children.
“Let's not dance around what this is. When an Imam's home and a mosque are targeted within hours of each other, our Muslim neighbours hear the message that's intended - and so do I,” Qureshi said.
“Islamophobia has no place in Bolton. None. Our Muslim community is part of the fabric of this town, and an attack on them is an attack on all of us.”
The incident came after race riots broke out in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, on Tuesday night as hundreds of masked men torched homes and vehicles belonging mostly to minority ethnic residents.
