Mosque Burglary: Community Rallies for Repair

0:00On March 21st, a Stockport mosque saw joy turn to sorrow right after Eid al-Fitr celebrations. On Friday, March 20th, Muslims and greater Manchester marked the end of Ramadan with festivities at El-Aff Majid in Cheedal Heath. But early Saturday morning, March 21st, Berglis broke in overnight, causing over 30,000 pounds in damage in stealing about 5,000 pounds in cash meant for community support. The intruder smashed windows, the front door, and a lot box to get inside, then wrecked a new 6,000 pound sound system installed for Ramadan. They also trashed a bookshelf of Kharans, scattered children's toys from classrooms, and cranked the boiler from 21 degrees to 88 degrees. This marks the 5th attack on the mosque since it opened just 12 months ago, with CCTV catching the suspect before they disabled the cameras. Perse arrived for prayers around 5.23 a.m. and found the devastation, sparking widespread

1:00distress in the community. Many families had gathered there the day before with kids, making the timing especially painful. Regular attendees feel vulnerable and targeted because of their faith, though greater Manchester police aren't classifying it as a hate crime yet. Police have boosted patrols, sent forensic teams to the scene, and are reviewing footage while urging witnesses to call with info on log 5-9, 4 of March 21st. Officers stayed on site all day to investigate the theft of cash and electrical gear. As the community rallies, a GoFundMe campaign is underway to help prepare the mosque and restore their safe space for worship and learning.