Mosque in Germany vandalized by neo-Nazis

Neo-Nazis threw stones at a mosque in the western city of Siegburg on Friday night, the latest in a string of attacks targeting Germany's Muslim community.

The assailants entered the masque complex at around 11:10 p.m. local time (21:10 GMT), smashed the windows, and left a flyer of the neo-Nazi group, Letzte Rettung Germania, before escaping, witnesses said.

The Turkish-Muslim group DITIB, which runs the Siegburg Mosque, condemned the attack, and called for stronger protection for the places of worship.

Germany is facing a rise in anti-Muslim racism and violence in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right political parties and movements.

In the first half of 2023, police recorded 258 Islamophobic crimes, including attacks on mosques, cases of bodily harm, and threatening letters.

A country of more than 84 million, Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. It is home to more than 5 million Muslims, according to official figures.