Sheffield Heeley MP and First Secretary of State Louise Haigh has released a social media statement condemning a second targetted attack in two months at the Wybourn Islamic Centre on Maltravers Road.

At approximately 1.45am on Sunday morning, an individual wearing a hooded top left a copy of the Holy Qur’an bearing crosses at the Islamic Centre, with one page reading “This is a human country. Kill all adult Muslims.”

The Holy Qur’an was discovered later that day when Brother Sakhawat Ali arrived for Fajr prayer. Worshippers attending the prayer were reportedly “deeply distressed,” according to a social media post by Wybourn Islamic Centre.

Haigh has since released a statement on social media, saying: “It’s distressing to see that the Wybourn Islamic Centre has once again been the target of another disturbing incident, the second in as many months.

“Everybody should be free to attend their place of worship without fear of attacks or discrimination. No place of worship should be targeted in this manner and I’m standing with the community at this difficult time.”

South Yorkshire Police have been informed and have attended the Centre to examine CCTV footage, collect fingerprints and interview regular attendees as part of an investigation to identify those responsible.

Wybourn Islamic Centre was previously victim of a targetted attack on 5 September, in which a copy of the Qur’an being thrown through its gates containing pork between its pages. The incident was described as a “hate crime” by South Yorkshire Police.

Since Sunday morning’s attack, Wybourn Islamic Centre have released a follow-up statement thanking Haigh for her public support.

They continued: “Sheffield is a wonderful city to live in, and we must not allow a small minority of bigoted individuals to shape the narrative or sow division within our communities.

“We believe we add value to our neighbourhood. We help keep our streets clean and tidy, teach our children to become law-abiding and socially responsible citizens and strive to contribute positively to the wider community.

“To the small minority who may hold misconceptions about us, we make a simple and sincere appeal: Please do not judge our morality or our community from a distance. As the saying goes, you cannot judge a book by its cover, let alone an entire community.”