Nadine Osman
CCTV footage of a deliberate fire set in a Muslim cultural centre in Scotland was released by police earlier this month.
The blaze occurred at Bishopbriggs Cultural Centre in Auchinairn Road in the East Dunbartonshire town at about 2.15am on November 17, 2015.
No-one was injured but thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the building. Police are treating the arson as a hate crime.
Police Scotland said the fire was set deliberately and have now released CCTV footage showing a man entering with a torch, pouring a flammable substance on the floor of a number of rooms and then lighting it
He is around 5ft 10ins and was wearing a blue tracksuit, a hat with a luminous band at the back, and dark shoes. He was carrying a JD Sports draw-string bag over his shoulder and had a scarf over his face.
It was said at the time the blaze may have been set in response to the terror attacks in Paris just four days earlier and police called on Scotland to unite against such retaliation.
Detective Constable Stephen Cooke said: “This was a deliberate and dangerous act which has caused extensive damage to the centre.”
Bishopbriggs Cultural Centre Secretary, Shafiq Sharif, said: “I was shocked when I found out this happened.
“My family have been living in Bishopbriggs for the past 57 years and we have never had any problem like this before. I’m really saddened and hope the police can solve this matter.”
