A Hampshire mosque set alight by arsonists last month has been vandalised again in what police described as a racist graffiti attack.
A man attending prayers at the Albirr Masjid Mosque in Sarum Hill discovered the graffiti on Saturday night. The attack coincides with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and is the second one on the Basingstoke mosque in less than two months. Police are still investigating an arson attack on the mosque on 12 August.
Insp Annabel Berry said: “We take all graffiti attacks seriously, but especially those that target particular sections of our community. I would like to reassure people that although this is the second attack on the mosque in the past couple of months such events are rare and we are investigating”
Hampshire Constabulary are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 2100 and 2200 BST on Saturday and who may have seen something suspicious to contact them.
Update: See also “Mosque targeted in racist graffiti attack”, Basingstoke Gazette, 25 September 2006