Mosque joins long list of properties hit by burglars as crime wave sweeps through Katanning

A crime wave surging through Katanning has infiltrated a place of worship. The Katanning Mosque was targeted by vandals overnight Thursday last week, joining a list of more than a dozen properties hit in the past three weeks. “They broke windows with bricks, the security door was ripped apart and they rummaged through the admin office and the Sunday school at the back,” Katanning Mosque Imam Alep Mydie said. Mosque secretary Moh Aeson said the first worshippers to arrive on Friday were “really upset”. “They were besides themselves, because to us the mosque is a safe space and safe place. It is dirty and really petty to be breaking into a place of worship,” Mr Aeson said. Services at the mosque were temporarily disrupted as forensics officers examined the crime scene on Friday last week. There have been several burglaries at the mosque over the past year, but Mr Mydie said last week’s incident was the most damaging. He estimated the damage at more than $4000. “A mosque, or any other church or place of worship, is where we communicate with God and to find something to better ourselves,” he said. “You question God, why? Why is it happening to us again? Who can help us? “We can’t blame God. This is an action of a human being, but how can we stop that? “It hurts all the worshippers. It hurts me.” Mr Mydie said he did not understand why the mosque was targeted by vandals because there was no money kept on the premises. Katanning police Sen. Sgt Carlos Correia said the burglary did not appear to be racially motivated but still showed a “blatant disrespect to the Muslim community”. “It is so sad that people are resorting to attacking a mosque,” he said. “It’s so disappointing and I’m saddened by what I see.” The burglary at the mosque came on the same night as another break-in at Nelsons Dry Cleaning and a car chase that occurred in the early hours of Friday. Sen. Sgt Correia said police pursued a red Ford Falcon sedan for about five minutes. The vehicle was found abandoned shortly after the chase. Sen. Sgt Correia urged the community to rally together after the string of burglaries and to be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour. He said he strongly encouraged residents and local business owners to install alarm systems and CCTV to act as deterrents.