Worshippers fear more attacks by criminals

Six armed men walked into a mosque in Johannesburg during the evening prayer recently and held up 200 worshippers.

As Muslims observe the month of Ramadan, many fear the incident will encourage more criminals to attack "helpless" worshippers.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the men entered the mosque at the corner of President and Von Brandis streets in the CBD on Thursday last week.

"Worshippers were in the middle of their evening prayer when the men produced firearms and demanded they hand over their valuables.

"No one was injured in the robbery and no arrests have yet been made. The case was reported to the police last Saturday, two days after the incident," said Dlamini.

The head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee, said the attack was of serious concern.

"It again shows criminals have little respect for our places of worship," he said.

"Nothing is sacred to criminals any more. Temples and churches have, sadly, also been targeted before."

He urged communities to be vigilant and report crimes immediately. "Security measures need to be in place to prevent more incidents. We also need the police to have regular patrols around places of worship, and private security companies can be useful to deter criminals.

"When a crime is committed, the victims need to report it to the police without delay. Although many are concerned about their safety, arming oneself is a personal decision."

Anonymous tips can be reported to Crime Stop on 08600-10-111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.