By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA): Police in Germany launched an investigation after a fire broke out in a mosque complex in the western city of Hannover on Monday night.

Recep Bilgen, chairman of the Muslim umbrella group Schura, said the largest mosque in Hannover was targeted in a suspected arson attack.

“We demand a complete clarification and the protection of our houses of worship,” he said on Twitter.

Bilgen also underlined that the attack occurred on the 30th anniversary of the racist arson attack in Solingen, which left five members of a Turkish family dead.

Hannover police said in a statement that the fire broke out on Monday night outside a restaurant in the mosque complex and was put out by the neighbors.

Some chairs, the facade of the building and a window were damaged.

The police have appealed for witnesses and requested anyone with information to come forward and assist in the investigation into the incident.

Germany has witnessed growing racism and Islamophobia in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right groups, which have exploited the refugee crisis and attempted to stoke fear of immigrants.

According to the latest data, police registered at least 610 Islamophobic hate crimes in 2022 across the country.

Some 62 mosques were attacked between January and December last year, and at least 39 people were injured because of anti-Muslim violence.

The figures also included dozens of hate crimes against Muslims, cases of intimidation, vandalism and property damage.

A country of over 84 million people, Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. It is home to nearly 5 million Muslims, according to official figures.

[Map of Germany from CIA Factbook/Public Domain]