A 33-year-old man has been charged with creating a public nuisance and disturbing a place of worship after allegedly making verbal threats at a mosque in Brisbane's north. Police were called to Masjid Taqwa in Bald Hills on Sunday morning following reports that a man attended the place of worship and made verbal threats. No one was physically injured, and the man fled before police arrived.
The Mitchelton man has since been charged with one count of creating a public nuisance and one count of disturbing a place of worship. In a statement on social media, Masjid Taqwa's board said the alleged incident caused fear and distress among members of the congregation. Several people reported that the man stated he had a gun in his car.
The board said it was the fourth incident involving the mosque and congregation within the past six months. In an unrelated incident in December, offensive graffiti, including a Nazi symbol, had been spray-painted on the mosque's wall. The Australian National Imams Council strongly condemned the alleged incident and acknowledged the police's prompt response.
Labor MP for Sandgate Bisma Asif, the first Muslim politician elected to state parliament, said: 'A place of worship should be a place of peace.' The council added: 'We trust that the justice system will deal with the matter appropriately and expect that this alleged offending be treated with the level of seriousness consistent with hate crime.'
