A police officer on duty outside Didsbury Mosque in the immediate aftermath of the May 2017 terrorist attack on a pop concert in Manchester. AFP
A police officer on duty outside Didsbury Mosque in the immediate aftermath of the May 2017 terrorist attack on a pop concert in Manchester. AFP
A police officer on duty outside Didsbury Mosque in the immediate aftermath of the May 2017 terrorist attack on a pop concert in Manchester. AFP
A police officer on duty outside Didsbury Mosque in the immediate aftermath of the May 2017 terrorist attack on a pop concert in Manchester. AFP

Arson attack on mosque attended by Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi


Nicky Harley
  • English
  • Arabic

UK police are treating an arson attack on a mosque once attended by the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi and his family as a hate crime.

Didsbury Mosque, in Manchester, which has previously received arson threats, was set on fire late on Friday night.

Mosque leaders have praised neighbours who put out the flames with their coats.

"If it was not for the actions of two of our amazing neighbours on Burton Road, who saw the flames and put them out with their coats, we hate to think what could have happened," they said.

"We cannot thank them enough."

No one was injured in the blaze, which was attended by crews from the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for more than two hours.

The mosque has released CCTV footage of the incident and is urging the community to stay vigilant.

"Please do not let hate divide us or win," it said.

On Saturday, the community held a Stand Up to Racism vigil outside the mosque.

Deputy leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, condemned the attack.

"This is a despicable act designed to create fear and hatred," he said.

"Manchester has consistently shown it is a city that stands together and will not allow extremists to divide us.

"I commend the neighbours who raised the alarm - they, not the cowards responsible for this arson - are the true spirit of this city."

The mosque was previously under scrutiny after it was revealed that suicide bomber Abedi and his family had attended it.

Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a bomb in his rucksack at Manchester Arena. Facebook/AFP
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a bomb in his rucksack at Manchester Arena. Facebook/AFP

Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a suicide bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

His younger brother, Hashem Abedi, was convicted last year on 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to cause an explosion.

He was sentenced to a minimum 55 years in jail.

BORDERLANDS

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis

Director: Eli Roth

Rating: 0/5

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Women & Power: A Manifesto

Mary Beard

Profile Books and London Review of Books 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog

Siblings: five brothers and one sister

Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota

Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym

Favourite place: UAE

Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera

What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books

if you go

The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.

The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.

 

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona

Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate

Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETHE%20SPECS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EEngine%3A%203.5-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%209-speed%20automatc%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20279hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20350Nm%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh250%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Updated: September 11, 2021, 4:57 PM`