Muslim community’s pain at Moygashel bonfire burning of mosque model

Nora Rashwan, who owns a Lebanese restaurant in Belfast city centre said that burning a replica of a Mosque was a “red line”.

In a social media post, she said there was deep concern felt by many Muslims across Northern Ireland at any threats or acts aimed at burning or attacking the mosque during the bonfire celebrations.

Such actions are “completely unacceptable and can never be justified”, she said.

She told BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme that racism has been a problem in the past, is a problem now, and she doesn’t know what will happen next.

She said people need to be safe and added that until now, she hadn’t seen racism face to face, only online.

Those behind the bonfire and representatives of the loyalist community have said the display was about disagreeing with ideology and government policy.

In a statement, Moygashel Bonfire Association said the display might “shock, offend or outrage”, but said those involved in making it were exercising their right to freedom of expression.

It said the replica of the mosque did not target any individual, adding: “Our opposition is not to people, but rather to ideology and government policy.”

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, who was present when the Moygashel bonfire was set alight on Thursday night, told BBC News NI that nobody in the unionist or loyalist community “should be targeting anybody”.

“I want to reassure the Muslim people that this is not about them as people. People disagree with their ideology, with their viewpoint, but it’s not about them,” he said.