A leader of the island’s Muslim community has spoken of the shock felt after an alleged racial incident outside Jersey’s mosque on Friday, as well as the positive response by the police and others, and the hope and belief that it was a one-off.
Dr Sarfaz Jamali said that he had never seen such an incident since first arriving in the island almost 30 years ago.
He was unable to go into the specifics of what happened because it is now a legal case following the arrest and charging of a 51-year-old man on Friday and a 36-year-old woman on Saturday.
However, Dr Jamali shared the community’s unrest over what had happened shortly after Friday lunchtime prayers.
“This has shaken our whole community and made them feel vulnerable and insecure,” he said. “Some female members have asked me: ‘will I be attacked outside the mosque?’ but I have been able to reassure them because the police response was very good.
“They came straight away and arrested the first individual. They have kept in touch with me, taken it seriously, and have been very supportive.
“This week, I have met with the Deputy Police Chief and other senior officers, who have offered more reassurance. They have also stepped up the surveillance in the area for the month of Ramadan.
“I am also grateful for Deputies Sam Mézec and Rob Ward, who were in the area at the time of the incident, for their support.”
Dr Jamali, who is a surgeon at the Hospital, added: “The Chief Minister has also sent me an email, and he reassured me that everything will be done to help the community.
“The government’s commitment to keep the community and Jersey overall as a safe place is very much appreciated.”
With a congregation of around 200 people, Jersey’s Muslim community is growing. When Dr Jamali first arrived, a handful of islanders would attend for prayers in an upstairs room at the former Methodist Chapel in Aquila Road, which is now an Islamic Centre.
Although bound by faith, the community is diverse as you would expect from one of the world’s great religions, from North- and Sub-Saharan Africa, Arab countries, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and elsewhere.
Dr Jamali said: “Jersey is a beautiful, peace-loving community; it is different to many other places.
“I have been here since 1998, and I have not come across such a horrific incident before. Yes, small things have happened in the past, but they have been trivial, one-off things and dealt with by the police at that level.
“Overall, Jersey has been good to us, and we have a mutual respect: we feel respected and we respect the whole local community and the laws of the land.”