Muslim graves desecrated in hate campaign

Article published: Monday, October 5th 2009

One week before anti-Islam protesters the English Defence League (EDL) hit Manchester, up to 20 Muslim graves have been damaged by vandals at Manchester Southern Cemetery. Police are treating it as a hate crime.

MSC It is believed the incident took place between the late hours of Thursday 1 October and early on Friday morning. Staff at the cemetery on Barlow Moor Road found that around 20 headstones had been pushed over and a number broken the following day. As those targeted were exclusively in the Muslim section of the site, Greater Manchester Police believe the attack was religiously or racially motivated.

“This sort of mindless, racist behaviour must be utterly condemned,” said Detective Constable Rob Southern.

The far right EDL are due to demonstrate in Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday 10 October. The EDL claim to be a non-racist organisation that protests against ‘radical Islam’ and strenuously deny accusations of xenophobia. However, anti-fascist campaigners say they are a front group with racist, anti-Muslim agenda and a counter-demonstration has been organised.

More: Manchester, News

Comments

I think the timing is no coincidence – the EDL are no doubt trying to stir things.
Comment by lou on October 5, 2009 at 7:36 pm
[…] reported by MULE last year a spate of three separate incidents occurred in September and November, in which headstones were broken, pushed over and smashed at Southern Cemetary. In […]
Pingback by Man arrested by in connection with attacks on Muslim graves — MULE on February 5, 2010 at 9:05 pm

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