Book Offer
This will close in 10 seconds
An Iranian man charged in relation to an alleged arson attack on an Islamic prayer hall on Dublin’s Talbot Street on Thursday has appeared before Dublin District Court.
The accused made the bail application on his own behalf as his solicitor, Ms Tracy Horan, was involved in a walkout protest from the District Court this afternoon due to a pay dispute with the Minister for Justice.
Some 60 solicitors were present in Court 1 at the time the case was called, with all of them walking out with Ms Horan after she addressed the sitting judge, Michele Finan.
Saeid Khorsorabadi (41), Seville Place, Dublin 1, who is a self-described “anti-Islam activist”, was arrested as part of a Garda investigation into the blaze at the Faizan-E-Madinhah mosque.
Judge Finan heard that the accused allegedly filled a litre bottle with petrol at a service station before dousing this on the door of the mosque and igniting it.
The court heard that a witness allegedly heard the accused saying, “I will finish this mosque; I will fire this mosque.’ I don’t like them to be here.”
After his arrest, when Gardaí questioned him about the incident, he said, “I am an anti-Islam Activist. I hate Islam, and I hate Muslims. There should be no mosques in Ireland. Anyways, yesterday I was watching RTE and I seen a story about a mosque in Galway that had been burned and it triggered me. So, I got some petrol, and I burned the mosque.”
“I hoped the whole mosque would burn down. I hate the mosques. Muslims are a dirty people. Islam is a dirty religion. People who believe in Islam are dirty people. The way they treat their wives and daughters is disgusting,” he said.
Opposing bail, Garda Shane Costello said that there was a concern that if released, the accused would return to the building and attempt to set it alight again. He also raised a concern about the possibility of witness interference.
Garda Costello said that while the accused was in custody, he said he would “return to the mosque and burn it again from the inside.”
The accused “repeatedly” referred to Muslims as “dirty people” and praised the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter, saying, “I love that guy; he was such a hero; it was a beautiful act,” he added.
He also said, “I hate Islam; I burned the mosque, l’ll do it again,” Garda Costello added.
“Given his apparent obsession with Islam, his lack of compassion even when told there were children inside the mosque and his stated determination to commit similar crimes, Gardaí are of the firm belief that Saeid Khosroabadi poses a serious risk to public safety if granted bail,” he said.
“Khorsorabadi said he did not want Sharia Law in Ireland and that he didn’t care that there were children in the mosque at the time.”
When the court asked if the accused had any questions for Garda Costello he said, “Why you didn’t mention the same day I was drinking from 6am? All the day I was drinking, Why you didn’t mention that?
When Judge Finan asked Garda Costello to answer the question, he said there was “no reason”.
When the accused began to repeat that he was an “anti-Islam activist” Judge Finan cautioned him not to “incriminate” himself.
“Garda Costello has made out a very strong objection to your bail, and I’m not going to grant bail today,” she said.
“Madam Judge, that’s not fair”, he protested before Judge Final told him he could apply for High Court bail.
She remanded the accused in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on the 8th of July.
This will close in 10 seconds