The bighearted Belfast public has smashed the £10,000 fundraising target set by supporters of the Donegall Pass multi-cultural centre torched by racists on Thursday night past. By 3pm Sunday, almost £56,000 had been donated to the Justgiving appeal. 

And a leading member of the communities of colour in Belfast, Suleiman Abdulahi of the Horn of Africa People's Aid group, said the scale of the public response "is testament to the fact the only real minority here now are the bigots".

"The Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community here are proud to be good citizens in Belfast and to be contributing to Northern Ireland," he said, "and we know that those who attacked the Belfast Multi-Cultural association building are a minority. The police told us that there were community leaders in the area who didn't want this centre to exist and it's now up to the police to do their job and bring those who attacked the centre to justice."

Suleiman added: "We don't want confrontation or enmity. We want an end to all types of discrimination and for every citizen to be treated equally. In fact, we want to make this land a better place — even for those who believe in hate — where a strong, diverse community flourishes."

The HAPANI spokesman said he would welcome the chance to meet the 'community leaders' behind the attack to explain to them that communities of colour are not their enemy.

STUNNING: Belfast rallies to stricken centre
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STUNNING: Belfast rallies to stricken centre

By lunchtime Sunday donations to the emergency fund to help the ethnic minority groups operating from the bustling centre stood at an astonishing £55,217.

First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill had led the condemnation of the arsonists who targeted the centre — where volunteers had been preparing relief hampers for vulnerable families just hours before the attack. Centre spokesman Mumhammed Atif said the arson was the culmination of a string of racist incidents targeting the group. 

Donations can be made via the Twitter account (above) of Amnesty Director Patrick Corrigan who launched the initiative in the wake of the blaze. 

On Sunday, Patrick Corrigan said the stunning response to the fundraising appeal demonstrated that "the antidote to hate is love". "This response is a bouquet of love to the volunteers at Belfast Multi-Cultural Association who have been feeding the homeless and the vulnerable during the pandemic. Their work for others, in the face of repeated acts of intimidation, represents the true spirit of Belfast."

The Amnesty spokesman said all monies donated would go direct to the Centre "to help it get back on its feet and keep its vital work going". He added: "A huge thank you to everyone who has rallied round with donations. Their generosity has been overwhelming."