News Desk
BERLIN — On the morning of July 4, staff at a historic Berlin mosque made a harrowing discovery that has left the community in shock. At Germany’s oldest mosque, located at Brienner Strasse 7-8 in the Wilmersdorf district, a bloody pig’s head wrapped in a Palestinian flag was found on the carpet. The flag bore the words “Ukraine stands for Israel,” adding a chilling layer to the incident.
The mosque, which was built in 1928, had a window pane shattered, allowing the perpetrators to toss the grisly object inside. This act of vandalism is not an isolated case; several mosques across Europe have faced similar attacks in recent years. Notably, in October 2023, a mosque in Bochum was defaced with graffiti, including a swastika and two Stars of David.
The Berlin mosque’s officials have never encountered such a blatant act of provocation before. The inscription on the Palestinian flag has led investigators to consider the possibility of Ukrainian involvement. Over the past two years, Germany has welcomed approximately 1.1 million Ukrainian refugees. There have been reports of Islamophobia and violence from some Ukrainian refugees against asylum seekers from the Middle East and Asia.
The police are actively investigating the incident, and the authorities are facing criticism for their perceived neglect of the rising anti-Muslim incidents in Germany. These incidents have reportedly doubled in the past two years, yet many have been overlooked by officials.
This act comes in the context of heightened tensions and complex international allegiances. Last October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed solidarity with Israel, drawing parallels between Hamas attacks and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. His stance has been noted for its lack of condemnation of war crimes against civilians in Gaza.
The Middle East conflict continues to claim lives, with the death toll and injuries from the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians now totaling around 35,000.
As the investigation into this heinous act at the Berlin mosque continues, the community and the broader public await justice and hope for a resolution that can help prevent such incidents in the future.
