Turkish mosque attacked in northeastern France

ANKARA / PARIS

A mosque affiliated with Turkiye’s Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) in France’s northeastern province of Metz was attacked on Thursday night.

The mosque was damaged in a fire that broke out after unknown persons lobbed three Molotov cocktails on the walls of the mosque.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ali Durak, president of the mosque association, said the mosque was saved from being completely burned down at the last moment.

“We did not expect such an attack,” he said, adding the association is in constant interaction with the local community.

Durak said the mosque was attacked for the first time, noting that local officials immediately contacted them after the attack.

Meanwhile, the Coordination Committee of Turkish Muslim Associations (CCMTF) said in a statement that anti-Muslim, racist and xenophobic incidents are on the rise in the country.

The latest attack is related to Islamophobia, which became more evident during the presidential elections, the statement emphasized.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk​​​​​​​