A 33-year-old man has been charged after allegedly storming into a mosque north of Brisbane and threatening worshippers. The incident occurred at Masjid Taqwa mosque on Telegraph Road in Bald Hills around 10:45 AM on Sunday, when the man entered the religious building and made verbal threats to those inside.
Police confirmed that no physical injuries were reported, and the man fled the scene before officers arrived. Following an investigation, authorities located the suspect—a 33-year-old from Mitchelton—and charged him with one count each of creating a public nuisance and disturbing a place of worship.
According to police, there is no ongoing threat to the public. The man is scheduled to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 22.
Police response and community safety
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) emphasised its commitment to handling threats against cultural and religious communities with the utmost seriousness. "Everyone in Queensland has a right to feel safe, to not feel threatened or victimised," police stated. "The QPS urges anyone who feels threatened or fearful by the actions of others to contact police."
Police also highlighted their dedication to community safety and engagement with diverse cultural groups. "The QPS remains committed to community safety and engaging with people from across our culturally diverse society to help foster better relationships, forge ahead with mutual partnerships and build upon platforms for community engagement," they added.
New hate crime laws in Queensland
The man is believed to be the first person charged with disturbing a place of worship in Queensland since the state government introduced major changes to its hate crime and gun laws. The updated legislation came into effect on March 11, extending protection to people attending or working in places of worship.
Tougher penalties now apply to harassment, damage, and intimidation at religious sites. The maximum punishment for charges related to disturbing religious worship has been increased to one year in prison.
Previous incident at the mosque
This is not the first time Masjid Taqwa mosque has faced such an incident. In December last year, the building was vandalised in a disturbing attack, with a swastika and the words "no Muslims = peace" spray-painted on the structure.
