Masked men firebombed a Muslim prayer room in a Blackburn cafe, with the owner insisting 'we have done nothing wrong'. CCTV footage captured the attackers hurling lit bottles of accelerant at the small prayer room in Café Raha at around 2:30am on Monday. The prayer room appeared to have been specifically targeted, as prayer mats were destroyed when flames took hold.
Owner's Response
Owner Mohammed Awais told the Lancashire Telegraph: 'We put our hearts and souls into this place. We have not done anything to anyone. Whatever it is, it should not push someone to do something so dangerous. It is affecting people's livelihoods and staff rely on their work to survive. There is no reason to do something reckless like this. If there is an issue or something has gone wrong in the store they should come and see us.'
The Raha Café only opened last year and was named as a finalist in the Lancashire Telegraph's Best Coffee Shop competition. Mr Awais said he had been left depressed after the suspected arson attack but was hoping to reopen this week. He added: 'We are also thankful to the fire teams and the local neighbour who appears to have alerted them straight away. They could have targeted anywhere but why come to this area? From the outside you can see it is a prayer room through the glass. You can see the Arabic verses and the prayer mats.'
Police Investigation
No injuries were reported in the blaze. A police spokesperson said: 'It was reported that a fire had been started at the premises. Colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service attended to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated and enquiries are ongoing.' A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson added: 'At 2:40am, three fire engines from Blackburn and Hyndburn attended an incident on Whalley New Road, Blackburn involving a fire in a single-storey building.'
