Christians have allowed Muslims to pray in a church hall after their mosque was destroyed in a suspected arson attack in Australia.
The fire hit Geelong Mosque, which met in a former Anglican church building, on Wednesday morning. It is the fifth time in recent months that a religious building has caught fire in suspicious circumstances.
Police in Victoria, Australia, say they are unable to confirm whether this week's fire is linked to four other incidents, all of which hit church buildings in the local area, according to Anglican Communion News Service. On 14 October last year, St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Bannockburn, Geelong was destroyed by fire. This was followed by two more churches in the Norlane district of Geelong which were destroyed on 5 December. Finally Geelong Presbyterian Church was destroyed on 15 April.
Police said they did not know whether Muslims were the target of the attack or whether the mosque was mistaken for a church as it met in a former Anglican building.
The Bishop of Melbourne, Philip Huggins, said he knew how "shocking and distressing the destruction of a place and community strengthening is" and added: "We want to help in any way we can." He offered local Muslims the church hall at All Saints Church in Newtown as a prayer space.
"With this common ground between us clearly we would want to reach out and help our Muslim friends continue their devotional life."
Sheikh Muhammad Saleem from the Victoria Board of Imams said the support he had received "overwhelming support."
He told ABC News: "Since this morning we have received many telephone calls from the community leaders in and around Melbourne and Geelong expressing their...overwhelming support.
"As I was walking to see the mosque, I was quite overwhelmed by the support expressed by the neighbouring community.
"I'm very pleased to hear the men and women who live in the neighbourhood come forward and ask me personally what we can do, and my answer to them was, 'Let's stand together and rebuild it.'"
He added the attack would not shake the Muslim community.
"We've never had any trouble, any issue, any problem; any tension, even. Rather, we've received very complementing and love-based compliments from the people," he said.
"The mosque was known for peace, unity, love, tolerance. It was a real symbol for keeping together the neighbourhood and community.
"We will rebuild. Whether it was accidental or done on purpose it will not shake our determination."
