Sweden's largest Shiite Muslim mosque set ablaze

Sweden’s largest Shiite Muslim mosque was badly damaged overnight in a suspected arson attack, police said on Monday.

“Flames were engulfing the outer facade” of the Imam Ali Islamic Centre in the northern Stockholm suburb of Jakobsberg, a police spokesman said, although there were no reports of any injuries.

“It seems it was set ablaze from the outside,” the TT news agency quoted police spokesman Lars Bystrom as saying, adding an investigation was under way to determine if the motive was political.

“This is Sweden’s largest Shia mosque with thousands of faithful... They are really concerned,” mosque spokesman Akil Zahari told broadcaster SVT.
Several mosques in Sweden have been the target of arson attacks in recent years.