Police in southwestern Germany were searching on Friday for a suspect after a 24-year-old man was stabbed inside a mosque, an incident that has raised fresh concerns about growing anti-Muslim hostility in Europe.
According to local authorities, the attack took place at a mosque in Backnang, about 30 kilometers northeast of Stuttgart. The attacker fled the scene after the incident and was not located during an initial police search.
Police said the motive for the attack remains unclear.
The mosque where the incident occurred is affiliated with the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB), one of the largest Islamic organizations operating mosques in Germany.
According to figures by the Anti-Discrimination Bureau of the DITIB, mosques suffered from 175 attacks in 2024, a fourfold increase compared to 2021. The report by the agency shows that about 60% of cases involve letters or emails containing threats, and these are followed by attacks damaging property and drawings of illegal symbols such as swastikas.
You can read the full Daily Sabah report here:
Knife attack at German mosque raises fears of Islamophobic violence
