Tension in the Muslim community of Manresa: seven minors arrested for assaulting worshippers
The young people were reportedly fed up with religious practices, although their motivation was said to be to commit acts of vandalism.
BarcelonaThe Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) have arrested eight young people, seven of them minors, for assault and public disorder at a mosque in Manresa. The youths belong to the city's Maghrebi community and, according to police sources, were criticizing worshippers for attending the mosque or for observing Ramadan. They are believed to be young people who were upset with these religious practices and reacted violently. However, the Mossos describe the incident as more a matter of antisocial behavior and vandalism than a religious confrontation. The oldest of the group is 18 years old.
The first incident occurred on the evening of February 19th, when several young people entered the mosque while those present were praying and began to verbally abuse and assault some people. After the prayer service ended, disturbances broke out outside the building, and one person was assaulted on his way home. This victim had reportedly confronted them about their behavior inside the mosque. The incidents continued daily, also causing disturbances for the neighbors, to the point that the Muslim community requested assistance from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police). The police response was to reinforce patrols in the area. However, this measure did not deter the youths. In fact, they responded by throwing stones and other objects at people attending the mosque, as well as at the police themselves. Finally, the Mossos decided to investigate the youths and attempt to identify them. This culminated in the operation that led to their arrest. The youths are accused of assault, threats, public disorder, and a crime against freedom of conscience and religious sentiment. The minors were placed in the custody of the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, while the adult will be brought before a judge in the coming hours.
The main police hypothesis is that they are young people who have become disillusioned with religious practices, especially during Ramadan, but police sources emphasize that it is a problem of antisocial behavior and that their motivation was to commit acts of vandalism.