VICTORIA – The Muslim community in Geelong, Victoria, has been overwhelmed by support from their neighbors, after the city’s only mosque was destroyed in a suspicious fire on Wednesday early morning.

“Since this morning we have received many telephone calls from the community leaders in and around Melbourne and Geelong expressing their … overwhelming support,” Sheikh Muhammad Saleem from the Board of Imams Victoria told ABC News on Wednesday, May 18.

“As I was walking to see the mosque, I was quite overwhelmed by the support expressed by the neighboring community, I’m very pleased to hear the men and women who live in the neighborhood come forward and ask me personally what we can do, and my answer to them was, ‘Let’s stand together and rebuild it’.”

Fire erupted about 2:10am in Geelong’s only mosque building, which was once a Uniting Church.

According to Victoria police, there seems an obvious link between five church fires in Geelong, ruling out that the attack was targeting Islam.

“This is one of a series of fires against places of worship in the Geelong area. There’s been four since October last year,” Inspector Graham Banks from Victoria Police said.

“It is clearly not what people might envisage a mosque might look like.”

In April, a suspicious fire gutted a 103-year-old Presbyterian church in Geelong West and it had to be knocked down.

In December, two churches were set alight within half and hour of each other in Norlane.

Support  

The Anglican Church has offered its Imam, Mohammad Ramzan, the use of the church hall at All Saints Anglican Parish in Newtown for this week’s Friday prayers.

“We want to help in any way we can,” Bishop Philip Huggins said, adding that the Anglican church would continue to offer help.

“We appreciate how shocking and distressing the destruction of a place of prayer and community strengthening is.

“With this common ground between us, clearly we would want to reach out and help our Muslim friends continue their devotional life.”

On the other hand, imam Mohammad Ramzan, who was sleeping with his wife and three children in an adjacent home and escaped unharmed, said that the mosque fire will not shake community.

“We’ve never had any trouble, any issue, any problem; any tension, even. Rather, we’ve received very complementing and love-based compliments from the people,” he told 774 ABC Melbourne.

“The mosque was known for peace, unity, love, tolerance. It was a real symbol for keeping together the neighborhood and community.

“We will rebuild. Whether it was accidental or done on purpose it will not shake our determination.”

Mohommad worshipped at the mosque and said there had not been any trouble during the mosque’s 23-year history.

“It’s a house of serenity, peace and shouldn’t be treated like this,” he said.

“I was in disbelief and shock. I would never have thought this would happen to this mosque. I don’t understand why people do these things.”