THE BELFAST Multi-Cultural Association (BMCA) have announced the sale of their premises on Donegall Pass due to safety concerns after it was twice targeted in racist firebomb attacks and significantly damaged.

BMCA was first targeted in an arson attack in January 2021 resulting in significant damage to the listed building and prompting an outpouring of public support in which over £70,000 was raised to begin repairs.

The organisation temporarily moved to ForthSpring Inter Community Group centre on the Springfield Road as the repairs took place but the centre in Donegall Pass was again attacked and burned out in April 2022 the day after repairs were completed.

Muhammad Atif from BMCA said those working at and using the centre no longer feel safe to use the premises on Donegall Pass and had moved out of their temporary premises on Springfield Road leaving the organisation now without a home.

“We stayed at the ForthSpring Inter Community Group centre until December 2022 whilst we awaited the repairs of our premises on Donegall Road but the repairs took too long to complete," he said. "As our centre on Donegall Road was a listed building we had to go through a lot of hoops to sort out repairs with the Council. Now we are homeless. We have five trustees and  we are using our garages and our businesses. We are trying to keep things running but we have had to put some of our services on hold.

“We are actively looking for a new premises now. It was not an easy decision to put the centre on the market but it was purely for the safety of our volunteers and the centre users. We cannot risk any more harm and we are lucky that in both of the fires and the damage to our cars no-one was hurt but we are not going to wait for somebody to get hurt. We got a loud message from a tiny minority of people in the community that they could run anything in this country. They have done a good job of scaring off our centre users and we cannot be in a place we do not feel safe.”

GUTTED: Damage to the centre after the second arson attack
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GUTTED: Damage to the centre after the second arson attack

Muhammad said that while they have been made to feel unwelcome by a tiny minority in the community, the organisation was indebted and grateful to the majority of people in Belfast who came out to support them.

“We are very grateful and thankful to the majority of the Belfast community and the help we received after the first fire. People really came out to help and support but there is a tiny minority of people who like to make problems and trouble.

“The majority of people in Belfast are very welcoming but there is a tiny minority who are not and unfortunately they still exist in communities. Nobody in their right mind would go out and burn down a charity building, not once but twice. We also feel a great deal of disappointment towards the PSNI that they still haven’t been able to arrest those responsible. The issue has been left undealt with and this creates the impression that people can do these things and get away with it.”

To add insult to injury, the centre have also reported that when several service users went to the PSNI to report being the victims of racist abuse, they were questioned by the PSNI on their immigration status. It has been reported by The Detail that the PSNI handed over information on 33 migrants to Home Office Immigration Enforcement, including the details of 13 who were victims of human trafficking and five who were the victims of modern slavery between May 2020 and May 2022.

Muhammad said: “When they went to the PSNI they were subject to lots and lots of questions. When people come in to use our centre we don’t subject them to these questions because we’re a charity and questioning someone on all of these things is not what any charity would do. The PSNI were more interested in their immigration status than what the crime was. It was more about blaming the victim.”

And he explained that the racist arson attacks have also impacted upon the organisation's attempts to look for a new home.

“To search for a new premises will take a lot of money which is also why we have decided to sell the property. We are also finding it very difficult to find somewhere temporary to rent. When landlords find out we have been burned out twice before they have said they will donate £100 to our charity but they won’t let us use their building because what has happened twice could happen again.”

Despite these setbacks, BMCA have been offered political support in their attempts to find a new home in the city.

Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey said it was disgraceful the BMCA has been forced to move from its home.

She added: “It’s totally disgraceful that the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association have been left with no option but to sell their Donegall Pass home because of continued racist attacks. 

“I want to offer my full solidarity to the Muslim community who have been left frightened in the face of these barbaric hate crimes and attacks. 

“There is no place for racism in Belfast and more must be done by the PSNI to bring the islamophobes responsible for these vile and criminal attacks to book. 

“Everyone has the right to live their daily lives free from fear, hatred and intimidation and all form of racism must be challenged."