MFA and Vakiflar Department condemn vandalism attack on Arnavut mosque

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vakıflar Department have strongly condemned the recent attack on the Arnavut mosque in Limassol.

The Vakiflar Department has brought attention to an incident through a public statement and accompanying photos, revealing football slogans vandalizing the walls and garden of a mosque.

Expressing alarm at the increasing number of assaults on Muslim places of worship in southern Cyprus, the Vakiflar Department reiterated their dedication to honoring all faiths, irrespective of language, religion, or ethnicity. Urging immediate measures to tackle provocative attacks, they appealed to authorities to swiftly identify and apprehend the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, in a statement condemning the attack, the Foreign Ministry said that the frequent occurrence of such attacks revealed the racist mentality and Islamophobia as well as the intolerance towards Turkish existence on the island.

The recent spate of attacks on historical mosques in South Cyprus, including the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque, the Larnaca Great Mosque, and the Denya Mosque, cannot be viewed in isolation from previous incidents. These recurrent assaults reflect a disturbing trend of intolerance towards Turkish and Islamic heritage, representing a clear manifestation of the racist sentiments prevailing in the South,” a statement issued by the ministry read.

It said that the repetition of such attacks underscores the entrenched discriminatory mindset towards Turkish and Islamic presence in the region.