A Turkish mosque in Denmark near the German border has been defaced with anti-Muslim slurs, an official at the place of worship said Saturday.
Hurşit Tokay, the president of the mosque association, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that he left Aabenraa Mosque on Friday at 6 p.m.
When he arrived at around 11 a.m. Saturday, he noticed the slurs insulting the Quran on the wall.
The mosque, which operates under the umbrella of the Danish Turkish Islamic Foundation, was partially closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He said mosque officials reported the incident to the police and that the authorities have launched an investigation and will examine the surveillance cameras in the area.
Tokay condemned the attack, adding that the writing has been removed and no further damage was found.
Mosques across Europe have experienced dozens of cases of defilement in recent years, with varying extents. In more severe cases perpetrators have thrown Molotov cocktails, among other explosives, at mosques, while many others opt to spray paint terrorist symbols and slurs.
Violence against the Muslim communities is mostly carried out by members of the far-right and the PKK terrorist group, and Muslims in Denmark have demanded the government provide better security.
Hate crimes against mosques and Muslims have been on the rise across Europe in recent years, fueled in part by the growing political power of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant groups.
Racist attacks targeting Muslims or immigrants increasingly make the headlines as white supremacists become more efficient in an age where their ideals, or at least parts of them, are going mainstream. There is no single large group orchestrating these attacks against Muslims and immigrants. Rather, individual attacks lead to more attacks by copycats.
Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have frequently urged European decision-makers and politicians to take a stance against racism and other types of discrimination that have threatened the lives of millions of people living within the bloc’s borders.