UAE

Life and Living

World

Opinion

Business

Sports

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Travel

Reviews

Brands

Supplements

KT Events

KT APPDOWNLOAD

Type your keywords

New Zealand police probe mosque arson attack

The attack was shocking and horrific, say mosque authorities on social media

Read more...
Al Noor Mosque Imam Gamal Fouda observes the proceedings at the opening of a coronial inquiry into the 2019 Christchurch massacre, in Christchurch on October 24, 2023. – AFP file

By Reuters

Published: Tue 5 Nov 2024, 8:55 AM

New Zealand police are investigating an arson attack at an Auckland mosque early on Tuesday, when a fire smoldered for eight hours before it was noticed and emergency services were called.

Mosque attacks resonate in New Zealand after 51 people were killed in its worst mass shooting in 2019 that targeted Muslims attending Friday prayers in Christchurch, an assault livestreamed on Facebook by gunman Brenton Tarrant.

Closed-circuit television showed someone broke into the Imam Reza Mosque in New Lynn just before 1am (1200 GMT) and deliberately lit a fire, the police said on Tuesday.

Advertising
Advertising

"Police are still investigating possible motive and we cannot say ... it is a hate-related crime," they said in a statement.

Tuesday's attack was shocking and horrific, mosque authorities said on social media.

"There are those who tried to harm us, to shake the very foundations of our sacred space," they said in a post.

"Today, we stand united, proclaiming that our masjid is not merely a physical structure; it is a beacon of light, a place of worship, and a symbol of hope."

Reuters

Published: Tue 5 Nov 2024, 8:55 AM

Recommended for you