A flat in Athens used as Muslim place of worship was set on fire

On May 8, 2011 on early Sunday, arsonists set fire to a flat in the Kallithea district of Athens which is used as a Muslim place of worship. According to the news portal Dünya Bülteni, at 03:17 unknown persons broke the windows of the ground-floor flat with the number 196 in the Sofokleous Street and set fire to the flat. The perpetrators painted a Nazi swastika on the flat’s windows. The attack caused material damage, but thee were no injuries.

Related to the subject matter, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) made the following statement: “Through media we’ve got the know of the at-tack on the flat in Athens which is used as for religious practices by the Muslims living in Athens. We strongly condemn this attack. The Muslims living in Athens do not have a mosque where they freely perform their religion. The concerning attack on a flat used as a Muslim place of worship has brought not only the problems related to the freedom of religion and worship but also the security problem in Greece on the agenda, where it has been lasting already a brittle structure. The Greek Government and authorities have to consider the potential threats brought along by the growing in-tolerant environment in the country”.