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Arson attack targeting Central Mosque in Witten

15.04.2015
ABTTF President: We strongly condemn arson attack against Central Mosque in Witten, where our headquarters is also located, and we hope that these hate-motivated attacks do not have a spill-over effect

A mosque belonging to the Turkish Islam Union of Turkey’s Directorate Religious Affairs in Witten province, where Head Office of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) is located, was set on fire on 14 April 2015.

According to information gathered from representatives of the mosque association, the Muslim community saw that the carpets were on fire when they came to Central Mosque located at Wideystraße in Witten for morning prayer and called the police and the fire department. The fire brigade teams put off fire in a short time, nobody got hurt. The police investigated surveillance cameras and an identified man was filmed from inside the mosque on Monday night at around 23.50 local time entering the mosque and pouring gasoline in the prayer room. After reportedly set the gasoline on fire, fortunately, the fire extinguished by itself. In the morning people discovered that the smoke had filled the praying room and called the police.

On the other hand, a youth center in Witten sabotaged with fire on the same day. Now, the police are examining the link between these two attacks.

ABTTF President Halit Habip Oglu said: “We strongly condemn arson attack against Central Mosque in Witten, where our headquarters is also located. We hope that perpetrators are identified and captured immediately. The sabotage in youth center and arson attack against the Central Mosque in Witten on the same day have caused a deep concern for us, for Turks living in Witten. We hope that these hate-motivated attacks are individual cases and do not have a spill over effect.”