A swastika was painted on the wall of a mosque in the Laeken district of Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on Saturday night. The Nazi symbol was noticed at around 1:00 a.m. local time.
Brussels Minister for Local Government and Equal Opportunities Ahmed Laaouej described the incident as an Islamophobic act. Laaouej said the presence of the Nazi symbol was particularly serious and that those responsible should be identified.
After police were notified, preparations began for an official report on the incident. Authorities will investigate to identify those responsible for the attack.
Laaouej visited the mosque together with Khalid Zian, a Brussels municipal councillor responsible for religious affairs, and expressed solidarity with the mosque’s congregation and worshippers.