Hate Crimes

Australian Mosque Attacked After Istanbul Bombings

Cars torched as children prayed inside.

A mosque in Western Australia was attacked late Tuesday in what is being described as an anti-Muslim “act of hate.” Police in Perth confirmed that four cars were set ablaze outside the mosque, one of which exploded, while the mosque’s imam said he suspected a petrol bomb had been used. Yahya Adel Ibrahim, the imam, said young children had been praying inside the mosque at the time of the attack. The attackers also defaced the building with spray paint. The incident occurred after suicide bombers struck an Istanbul airport, killing at least 36 people, though it is not clear if the attackers were motivated by that tragedy.