Mosque evacuated over bomb threat in Germany

BERLIN

German police on Monday evacuated one of the largest mosques in the country due to a bomb threat purportedly sent by a far-right terrorist organization.

The Central Mosque in the western city of Duisburg was evacuated after its staff received an e-mail apparently by the far-right terror group, Combat18, claiming that bombs were planted at the entrance of the mosque.

The police put the security cordon in the area and began searching the premises.

At least five mosques received bomb threats this month, sparking worries among the country’s Muslim population.

Germany has witnessed growing Islamophobia in recent years triggered by the propaganda of far-right parties and movements.

Police recorded 813 hate crimes against Muslims last year, including insults, threatening letters, physical assaults and attacks against mosques.

Germany, a country of over 81 million people, has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Among the country’s nearly 4.7 million Muslims, 3 million are of Turkish origin.