Enschede mosque daubed with Nazi symbols

9 September 2004

AMSTERDAM — A mosque in the eastern Dutch city Enschede was daubed with swastikas and set on fire on Thursday morning.

Damage to the building was limited, the local police said.

Police officers were notified of the fire at about 4.30am. They discovered several sacks filled with household garbage and wooden planks had placed against the main entrance and set alight.

Nazi swastikas had been daubed onto the walls of the building in orange paint.

The fire brigade arrived soon after and extinguished the blaze before it could spread further. The entrance area was burnt out and there was smoke damage to other parts of the building.

The police are investigating in a bid to catch the vandals responsible for the attack.

Jewish synagogues are more frequently the targets of similar attacks in the Netherlands.

Subject: Dutch news