The 2014 Sweden mosques arson attacks were a series of arson attacks on three mosques in Sweden that took place during one week at the end of 2014. In addition to being struck by Molotov cocktails, some mosques were vandalized with racist graffiti.
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Attacks
The first attack took place on Monday in the southern Swedish town of Eslöv just after 3 am local time. No one was injured on that occasion. Early on New Year’s morning the second attack hit a mosque in Uppsala.
On Christmas, five people suffered injuries when, according to early reports, a petrol bomb had been tossed through the window of a mosque in Eskilstuna. Up to 20 people, including children, were in the mosque at the time of the attack. Police later said they were investigating the incident as an accident, considering it unlikely to have been a deliberate attack. It was later reported that an overheated deep-fryer was the probable cause of the fire.
Background
The attacks happened at a time of rising anti-immigrant sentiment and political tension over Sweden's status as the leading destination in the EU (per capita) for asylum seekers.
Response
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said that the attacks were "hateful violence" and denounced the crime. He said that the attacks were not representative of Sweden. and that "no-one in Sweden should be afraid of practicing their religion".
Samir Muric, the imam in Eslöv, told a Swedish news agency: "Unfortunately this is probably something to do with Islamophobia. I live nearby, and it’s beginning to feel unsafe."
On January 2, 2015, hundreds of anti-racist demonstrators in three major Swedish cities rallied in support of Muslims.