FIVE Birmingham mosques attacked overnight

Five mosques in Birmingham have been targeted in a
string of violent attacks overnight and into the morning.
Reports of a man smashing windows with a
sledgehammer on Birchfield Road were received at 02:30 GMT, police said.
Officers were then alerted to a similar attack in
Erdington about 45 minutes later, with more in Aston and Perry Barr reported.
Another on Albert Road was struck at 10:00 GMT.
The Home Secretary called the vandalism "deeply
concerning and distressing".
West Midlands Police said it was yet to establish a
motive and officers from its Counter Terrorism Unit were investigating.
A spokesperson for Witton Islamic Centre on Witton
Road, Aston, said CCTV captures a man smashing windows.
"The whole of the front windows, about six,
were smashed," he said.
"Because of the force he used it's gone through
the windows and into the mosque itself".
Councillor Majid Mahmood tweeted a video of the
clean-up taking place at the centre.
Councillor John Cotton, cabinet member for social
inclusion, community safety and equalities with Birmingham City Council, said
he was "appalled" by the violence and was working with police to find
those responsible.
He tweeted: "These thugs do not speak for
Birmingham and will not divide us."
Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Dave
Thompson said: "At the moment we don't know the motive for last night's
attacks.
"What I can say is that the force and the
Counter Terrorism Unit are working side-by-side to find whoever is
responsible."
A statement from the Birmingham Council of Mosques
said: "We were deeply horrified to hear a number of mosques were
vandalised during the early hours of this morning.
"Birmingham's mosques are a place of worship,
serenity and a source of peace and tranquillity. We are appalled by such acts
of hate/terror."
The MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood,
said the attacks were "truly terrible".
Mr Thompson added: "Since the tragic events in
Christchurch, New Zealand, officers and staff from West Midlands Police have
been working closely with our faith partners across the region to offer
reassurance and support at mosques, churches and places of prayer."