UK Riots: Muslims Feared for Their Lives During Violent Mosque Siege

IQNA – Muslims hiding inside Southport mosque during a siege by far-right protesters revealed they "feared they would die" as thugs torched cars and pelted the building with rocks.

The rioters, believed by police to be "supporters of the English Defence League," began hurling data-x-items at the mosque just one hour after mourners gathered to remember three girls killed in a horrific knife rampage in the town.

Iqbal Ahmed, 32, who arrived at the mosque on Sussex Road at 7:30 PM on Friday to pray, described the terror of being inside the building when the violence unfolded, according to The Times.

Referring to the moment when protesters set a charity clothes bank on fire, Ahmed said, "We thought the downstairs was on fire. We ran to the toilet window at the back of the mosque on the top floor. We lifted up the window and had a look to see if we could jump it. It's quite high. We might have broken our legs if we'd jumped."

He added, "I have a little boy and was thinking about him. I thought for a second, 'I'm going to die.'"

The car dealership and property business owner said the group of men decided it would be safer to stay inside the mosque and picked up "mops and a metal curtain rail, ready to defend themselves."

Ahmed explained the most chilling moment of the ordeal was when an anonymous person called the mosque and threatened to "kill you and your families."

Far-right protesters have clashed with police at several rallies as unrest linked to misinformation about the murder of three young girls in a stabbing attack spread across the United Kingdom.

Riots involving hundreds of far-right anti-immigration protesters have erupted in several towns and cities in recent days after false information spread rapidly on social media that the suspect in Monday’s knife attack at a dance class for children in Southport was a Muslim immigrant.

Police have stated the suspect, Axel Rudakubana, 17, was born in Cardiff, Wales, but protests by anti-immigration and anti-Muslim demonstrators have continued, descending into violence and rioting, including in the northeastern city of Sunderland on Friday evening.

Demonstrators threw chairs, flares, and bricks at officers in the northwestern English city of Liverpool, while scuffles between police and protesters broke out in nearby Manchester.

Source: Agencies