Mosque in Germany vandalized after attempt to burn it down

By Mesut Zeyrek

COLOGNE, Germany (AA) - Vandals drew symbols including a swastika and the Star of David on the entrance door of a mosque in Germany after failing to burn it down.

The Turkish-Muslim group DITIB, which runs Sultan Ahmet Mosque in Dahlhausen district in the city of Bochum, condemned the overnight attack on Wednesday.

DITIB Dahlhausen Sultan Ahmet Mosque Association President Gungor Kadir Guven said the congregation that came to perform the morning prayer discovered the attack.

Noting that the vandals first attempted to burn down the mosque, Guven said: "Then a swastika and Star of David symbols were drawn on the entrance door. Despite several attempts, fortunately the shutters did not catch fire. If they had, it would have been a disaster."

"We demand that the perpetrator or perpetrators be caught and brought to justice as soon as possible," he added.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, he noted.

Germany has been facing a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and violence in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right political parties and movements.

In the first half of 2023, police recorded 258 Islamophobic crimes, including attacks on mosques, cases of bodily harm and threatening letters.

A country of more than 84 million, Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. It is home to more than 5 million Muslims, according to official figures.