Petrol bomb attack 'racially motivated'

Unionist political and community leaders in Northern Ireland were today told to do more to tackle racial attacks in their areas.

Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey issued the call after an Asian family were targeted in a petrol bomb attack in a loyalist area of south Belfast.

The attackers struck in Fane Street at around 2.20am while a couple and their five- year-old daughter were sleeping.

Two petrol bombs hit a front bedroom window.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which caused minor scorch damage to the window, front door and surrounding areas.

No-one was injured but the family were badly shaken by their ordeal.

Police said they were investigating a possible racial motive.

Locals said the intimidation of the family began during the Twelfth of July celebrations.

Mr Maskey called on unionist political and community leaders to do more in their neighbourhoods to stop racist attacks.

The South Belfast MLA said: “Last night an Asian family whose home had been repeatedly attacked since the Twelfth period were petrol-bombed from their home in the Tates Avenue area.

“This is yet another disgraceful racist attack against a completely innocent family attempting to get on with building a life here.

“Unfortunately, it is not the first such attack in south Belfast over the past 18 months.

“We have already witnessed a sustained campaign by unionist paramilitaries to drive ethnic minorities out of the Donegal Road/Sandy Row area.”

Mr Maskey said attacks on ethnic minorities in the area had stopped earlier this year in the face of public pressure but were redirected against Catholics living in a nearby apartment block.

The Sinn Féin MLA said the toleration of sectarian intimidation had sent out the signal to those behind racial attacks that those too would be tolerated.

“Sectarianism and racism are the two sides of the same coin and must be confronted with equal vigour if we are to build a truly inclusive city,” he said.

“That is a challenge for all of us, but I have to say particularly for many unionist political leaders at this time.”

SDLP deputy leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell said the return of racial attacks was a cause for grave concern for everyone in south Belfast and he urged all sections of society to confront those responsible.

The South Belfast Assembly member said: “It is hardly a coincidence that the attacks on this family began when the tensions of sectarianism, our local variant of racism, were at their height.

“This attack brings shame on our city and our community.

“For some reason, those who do this type of thing seem to think they are representatives acting on behalf of a wider community.

“It is vitally important that genuine representatives, whether publicly elected or leaders of less formal groupings, should stand forth and speak with a loud voice.

“They should tell the petrol-bombers that they represent nobody but themselves and serve no good purpose.

“They should also tell them loud and clear that community leaders want to see them before the courts of justice to answer for their hate crimes.”