COLOGNE (AA): An unidentified arsonist did considerable damage to a mosquein Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, but there were no casualties,the mosque’s head reported on Saturday.
Omer Oral, the head of Hagen’s Great Mosque Society, told Anadolu Agencythat the arson attack took place at 10.00 a.m. when the assailant set fireto a trash dumpster and cartons outside, leading to significant materialdamage.
Underlining that he took comfort in seeing no loss of lives, Oral said:“Substantial damage was done to the entrance of the mosque. The mosque wasfilled with fog and smoke and all the furniture inside were ruined.”
He went on to say that the surveillance cameras were checked by police anda suspect was seen “pulling something out his pocket” near the mosqueentrance just before the fire started.
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“We should reach out to the people around us and do a better jobintroducing ourselves and our faith,” he said, adding that such attackswill never deter Muslims in Europe from practicing their religion.
The mosque belongs to the Islamic Community National View (IGMG), one ofGermany’s largest Muslim-Turkish associations.
