Hundreds of worshippers remained to finish prayers after a suspected petrol bomb exploded in a car outside a Perth mosque.
No-one attending Thornlie Mosque was injured in the Tuesday night attack now being investigated by police. Anti-Islamic graffiti was also scrawled on a wall.
Thornlie Mosque & Australian Islamic College representative Yahya Adel Ibrahim was thankful no-one was hurt and said the community would not start playing "blame games".
"This, undoubtedly is a criminal act of hate, but it is the act of a person or group not the greater whole," he posted on Facebook.
"Despite what just transpired, everyone stayed to finish their prayers refusing to give into the terror that had just occurred."
The local MP who's electorate covers Thornlie, Chris Tallentire, attended the scene.
"I feel sick that you have to endure attacks like this," he told the community in a Facebook post.
"The truth is that this was an attack on all of us."
WA Police later said four vehicles parked outside the mosque and college area were damaged in the 8pm attack.
One was completely gutted by fire.
"It is believed an accelerant was used to start the fire," they said in a statement.
Three people were seen running down an alleyway next to the college after the explosion.
Australian Islamic College executive principal Abdullah Khan said he was shocked by the attack but it would be business as usual at the school on Wednesday.
"The people who were praying last night, they came out obviously when they heard this," he told ABC radio.
But after some time when they saw that emergency services and police were there, they went back into the mosque and continued their prayer, he said.
"That's the message that we want to send to those people that we will not become part of supporting their agenda.
"It's business as usual, we will continue as everyday life as usual, so that's the message."
Mr Khan said he had been constantly on the phone since the incident, receiving calls of support from politicians, police and other community members.
He said there had been graffiti at the school in the past but not in about a year.
