A Shia Muslim man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for vandalising five mosques in Birmingham. Arman Rezazadeh, 34, of Iranian descent, used a sledgehammer to smash windows and doors at the religious sites in Perry Barr, Aston and Erdington on 21 March.
Rezazadeh admitted five counts of religiously aggravated criminal damage. The court heard he was motivated by religious hatred, targeting Sunni Muslim mosques. The attacks sparked a major hate crime inquiry supported by anti-terror police.
The damage, estimated at more than £11,000, affected the Witton Islamic Centre, Al-Habib Trust, Jamia Masjid Ghausia (all in Aston), Masjid Madrassa Faizul Islam (Perry Barr) and Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef (Erdington).
Prosecutor Tom Walkling said Rezazadeh had been drinking alcohol to celebrate the Iranian new year and had a history of mental issues linked to cannabis use. The defendant, of Greenhill Road, Handsworth, handed himself in, claiming he wanted to expose false religious teachings.
Javid Iqbal, of the Witton Islamic Centre, said the attack upset the congregation and it was fortunate no one was seriously hurt. Passing sentence, Judge Michael Chambers QC said the offending was planned and premeditated, and that Birmingham has a long history of religious toleration which the defendant deliberately offended against.
