Brisbane Mosque Worshippers Threatened
The Muslim community in Brisbane has described the incident as deeply concerning.
Police were called to the Masjid Taqwa mosque in Bald Hills on Sunday morning following reports that a man attended the place of worship and made verbal threats.
No one was physically injured, and the man fled the scene before police arrived.
A 33-year-old Mitchelton man has since been charged with one count of creating a public nuisance and one count of disturbing a place of worship.
In a statement on social media, Masjid Taqwa's board said the incident caused fear and distress among members of the congregation.
The board said several people reported that the man stated he had a gun in his car.
"While we understand the current charges before the court, our community remains deeply concerned by the circumstances surrounding this incident and the broader pattern that appears to be emerging," they said.
The board said it was the fourth incident involving the mosque and congregation within the past six months.
"No person should feel unsafe while attending a place of worship."
In an unrelated incident in December, offensive graffiti, including a Nazi symbol, had been spray-painted on the mosque's wall.
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The Australian National Imams Council strongly condemned the alleged incident and acknowledged the police's prompt response.
"We trust that the justice system will deal with the matter appropriately and expect that this alleged offending be treated with the level of seriousness consistent with hate crime," the council said in a statement.
Labor MP for Sandgate Bisma Asif, the first Muslim politician elected to state parliament, said: "a place of worship should be a place of peace".
The 33-year-old is due to appear in court on May 22.
Source: abc.net.au
