Police arrest alleged Furqan Mosque vandal

The police have arrested a suspect in the vandalism at the Masjid al-Furqan, located in the Galolhu district of Male’ City.

Prayer-goers who went to the mosque for the Fajr prayer on Sunday found the mosque ransacked, with copies of the Holy Quran thrown to the ground.

A police spokesperson said that the agency arrested Naushad Moosa, 30, G. Male’ Hiya 2 13-02, on Monday.

He was presented before the Criminal Court for his remand hearing on Tuesday.

According to the spokesperson, the court remanded Naushad in custody of the police for 15 days.

Adam Nishan Ali Adam, a local scholar, wrote on Facebook that the damage was done ahead of the Fajr prayer on Sunday.

He wrote that “copies of the Holy Quran were thrown everywhere, the adapters installed yesterday on the electric boards placed near where the imam sits were smashed to pieces, the water taps at the wudu area were broken off, and some of the items in the mosque thrown there.”

Nishan alleges the vandalism was carried out by a young individual who is often found sleeping at the mosque, even during prayer times.

He said that the mosque has repeatedly faced acts of vandalism such as copies of the Holy Quran being thrown.

He expressed concern over the lack of action taken against the individual in question.

Over the years, mosques in Male’ have become frequent targets for vandalism and burglary, with many of the incidents blamed on drug addicts.