By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) - The Bosnian Mosque in the Swedish city of Norrkoping was attacked in a “targeted hate crime” in which windows were broken and neo-Nazi slogans written on the walls, media reports said Thursday.
“With great shame and deep sadness, we condemn the disgusting attack on the construction of our mosque in Norrkoping, where windows were broken, and offensive messages were written on the walls.
“This action brings back unpleasant memories from the time when many of our members came to Sweden as refugees during the war in Bosnia,” the Board of Directors of the Bosnian Islamic Assembly in Norrkoping and the Board of the Bosnian Islamic Society in Sweden said in a statement.
“Therefore, we are directly addressing the government with a proposal to do more to protect religious freedom in Sweden. Polarization and growing hate campaigns like this one, we expect the government to act more decisively and intensively in security work with religious communities,” it said.
The two groups said they see the attack as an assault, not only on the holy place and the community but also on the basic values of respect, tolerance and diversity of the entire Swedish society.
They stressed that this act of hatred would not shape or break their spirit, but would strengthen “our determination to continue building our mosque and keep it open for all residents of Northkoping.”
Furthermore, they express their deepest gratitude to everyone who has shown support and solidarity “at this difficult time.”
“Your touching words and actions remind us that we are not alone in the fight against hatred and intolerance,” it said.
Graffiti and vandalism have repeatedly occurred since an expansion project at the mosque began in Norrkoping. This year, a mosque in Skovde was attacked with a wild boar thrown at the building.
The latest attack is the second major “hate crime” directed at the community's mosques and its members within a short time, according to the statement that said Muslims are experiencing “a general increase in Islamophobic sentiment in society.”
In recent years there have been arson attacks at Swedish mosques with the Stockholm Mosque continuing to be the target of Islamophobic attacks.
The Islamic Association of Stockholm earlier this year urged politicians to ensure the safety of the Muslim community, asserting that the rise in threats against mosques reflects a deeper issue of anti-Muslim racism embedded in the media and political discourse.
It urged the government to prioritize addressing hate crimes to ensure the safety and religious freedom of the Muslim community in Sweden.