Armed attack targets two mosques in Germany

BARLIN, Dec. 10 (YPA) – Two mosques in the German city of Hanover were attacked on Wednesday by unknown assailants.

Unknown persons wrote phrases such as IDF, which refers to the “Israel Defense Forces” on the external facades of the mosques belonging to both the Milli gorush Islamic Union and the Turkish Islamic Union for Religious Affairs.

Ibrahim Kadak, head of the Hagia Sophia Mosque Association of the Milli Gorus Islamic Union, said that they discovered the traces of the two attacks, stressing that the community received the news with great shock and sadness.

Kadek pointed out that the police launched an investigation after being informed of the incident, and that the identity of the attackers is still unknown.

He hoped to find out whether the attack was an act of provocation or other motives, condemning strongly the attack and demanding that his clothes be revealed as soon as possible.

He stressed that the targeting of houses of worship raises concern in society and poses a threat to religious peace.

According to data from the federal crime office in Germany, during the first nine months of this year, 930 crimes related to Islamophobia were recorded in the country, including 31 attacks targeting mosques.

These crimes include assault, threats, incitement to hatred, damage to property, the use of symbols of organizations contrary to the Constitution. As a result of these attacks, 37 people were slightly injured and one person was seriously injured.

After France, Germany is the second largest country in western Europe in terms of the number of Muslims, with about 5.5 million Muslims out of a population of 85 million.

AA