RNA - A mosque in Öhringen's business district Sichert in southwest Germany has been targeted in an anti-Islamic attack.
Unknown attackers spewed a pig's head on a fence in front of Aksemseddin Mosque on December 4. A man discovered the impaled pig's head in the morning, as he was bringing his son to a Koran course at the mosque.
The mosque filed a complaint, but the community has little hope that the perpetrator will be caught. Police spokesman Rainer Ott stated that there has been no concrete progress in the case.
The Aksemseddin Mosque submitted all surveillance camera material to the police, but did not request a guard for the building. However, police spokesman Ott stated that the mosque is included in their daily patrol route.
Öhringen Mayor Thilo Michler also gave moral support saying: "We strongly condemn the attack and hope that the police will find the perpetrators."
This was not the first attack that the mosque has had to endure. In August 2015, an unknown man sprayed "Shit Muslims should die!" on the transformer house in front of the mosque. A few weeks later, attackers threw eggs against the mosque wall. At the end of November this year, a car entered the mosque grounds as the community and Imam were leaving. The driver shouted "Dirty Foreigners" before driving off.
Hatred for refugees and Muslims has been consistent in and around Öhringen for more than a year, especially in Facebook posts and at political rallies of the right alliance "Hohenlohe wake up". Anti-immigrant posters were seen all over the town after the political meeting of the right alliance on 9 October.
An increasing number of Muslims are experiencing verbal attacks, such as being called "bomb planter", at work, a spokesman for the mosque community stated. A building planned to accommodate up to 50 refugees was set on fire in the nearby town of Pfedelbach on November 17.
Despite the negative incidents, the Aksemseddin mosque is known to be active in many community areas and keeps in exchange with the city and the Christian communities. The muslims of Öhringen have opened their homes to refugees, and are involved in alliances against anti-refugee and anti-Islam movements. Integration and language courses are also being offered at the mosque in cooperation with the Würth Academy.
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