The brawl started as worshippers tried to leave the crowded parking lot at the Khadeeja Islamic Center, 1019 W. Parkway Ave., and spread to others who were leaving, said West Valley City Police Lt. Bill Merritt. Differing religious views may have escalated the conflict, he said.
But a member of the board of directors overseeing the mosque said the fight started over a parking space.
"It's just a simple fight that broke out. It had to do with cars being double-parked and someone wanted to get out in a hurry ... it's just a simple thing that kind of got out of hand," said Iqbal Hossain, chair of the board of directors for the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake, which oversees the mosque. "It's just sheer nonsense that it happened because of religious differences."
More than 100 people were at the scene when police arrived at 2:30 p.m. Friday, and fighting was in various pockets, Merritt said. The Friday midday prayers routinely draw largest weekly crowds to the mosque. About 500 to 600 people typically attend Friday services, Hossain said.
The fight started with a conflict between a 26-year-old man and a juvenile, as the crowded parking lot emptied. The 26-year-old had a box cutter, and another man drew a knife to defend the juvenile, starting the fight.
A total of four people suffered minor wounds and were treated at the scene, Merritt said.
The three people who started the original fight were arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault. The two men were booked into the Salt Lake County jail while the juvenile was taken to a juvenile detention center.
The Islamic Society's total congregation, which also includes another mosque in Salt Lake City, is about 25,000, Hossain said.
