2014 mosque arson attacks in Sweden

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title = 2014 mosque arson attacks in Sweden

| image =

|map= {{Location map many|Sweden

|width = 200

|float = center

|label = Eslöv

|marksize = 8

|lat_deg = 55 | lat_min = 50

|lon_deg = 13 | lon_min = 18

|label2 = Uppsala

|mark2size = 8

|lat2_deg = 59 | lat2_min = 51

|lon2_deg = 17 | lon2_min = 38

|label3 = Eskilstuna

|mark3size = 8

|lat3_deg = 59 | lat3_min = 21

|lon3_deg = 16 | lon3_min = 30

}}

| caption =

| location = Eslöv, Uppsala and Eskilstuna, Sweden

| coordinates =

| date = 25 December 2014–
1 January 2015

| time =

| timezone =

| type = Arson

| fatalities =

| injuries =

| perps =

| perp =

| weapons = Molotov cocktails

| motive = Anti-immigration
Anti-Islam

}}

The 2014 Sweden mosques arson attacks were a series of incidents all of which were initially believed to be arson attacks on three mosques in Sweden, that took place during one week at the end of 2014. In the third incident, in addition to being struck by a Molotov cocktail, the mosque at Uppsala was vandalized with racist graffiti.{{cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/63382ebe-91c8-11e4-bfe8-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3NjJghbbS|title=Sweden hit by third assault on mosque|work=Financial Times|date=January 2015 |last1=Milne |first1=Richard }}{{subscription required}}{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/Europe/story/Sweden-hit-third-mosque-arson-attack-week-20150102|title=Sweden hit by third mosque arson attack in a week|publisher=straitstimes.com}}

The first incident, the only one to have caused injuries, was found to have been an accident in the mosque kitchen caused by an overheated deep-fryer.{{cite news|title=Source: Police "no longer suspect arson" at Eskilstuna mosque|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=6060191|accessdate=22 April 2015|publisher=Sveriges Radio|date=5 January 2015}}{{Cite news|title=Local newspaper: Eskilstuna mosque fire caused by deep-fryer|url=https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=6112343|publisher=Sveriges Radio|date=9 March 2015}}{{Cite news|title=Report deep fryer started mosque fire|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20150309/deep-fryer-sparked-mosque-fire-report|work=The Local|date=9 March 2015}}

Accident and attacks

On Christmas Day, 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.euronews.com/2014/12/26/arson-attack-at-swedish-mosque-leaves-five-injured/|title=Arson attack at Swedish mosque leaves five injured|work=euronews|date=26 December 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20141226/five-hurt-in-mosque-arson-attack|title=Five hurt in mosque arson attack|date=26 December 2014 |publisher=thelocal.se}} 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.

The second event (and first indisputable arson attack) took place on 29 December in the southern Swedish town of Eslöv just after 3 am local time. No one was injured on that occasion.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/29/sweden-arson-mosque-fires-islamophobia|title=Swedish mosque set ablaze in second suspected arson attack in a week|author=David Crouch|work=the Guardian|date=29 December 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/sweden-right-wing-arson-attack-mosque-295487|title=Second Swedish Mosque Targeted in Suspected Arson Attack|work=newsweek.com|date=29 December 2014 }}

Early on New Year's morning, there was another arson attack on a mosque, this time in Uppsala.{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20150101/uppsala-mosque-hit-by-firebomb-attack|title=Uppsala mosque hit in third firebomb attack|date=January 2015 |publisher=thelocal.se}}{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/Sweden-hit-by-third-mosque-arson-attack-20150102-12gppx.html|title=Sweden hit by third mosque arson attack|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2 January 2015 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/world/Europe/Sweden-suffers-third-mosque-arson-attack-in-a-week|title=Sweden suffers third mosque arson attack in a week|publisher=The National}} In this attack the mosque was also vandalized with racist graffiti.

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 European Union (per capita) for asylum seekers.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/Europe/swedes-rally-in-support-of-mosques-after-arson-attacks/2015/01/02/d3146c48-92c7-11e4-a66f-0ca5037a597d_story.html|title=Swedes rally in support of mosques after arson attacks|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2017-08-23|archive-date=2018-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231143939/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/swedes-rally-in-support-of-mosques-after-arson-attacks/2015/01/02/d3146c48-92c7-11e4-a66f-0ca5037a597d_story.html|url-status=dead}}

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".{{Citation needed|reason=more specific quote than 'Those who want to practice their religion should have the right to do so.'|date=November 2020}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/swedes-rally-support-mosques-arson-attacks-27968115|title=Swedes Rally in Support of Mosques After Arson Attacks|author=ABC News|work=ABC News|access-date=2020-06-27|archive-date=2015-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109202004/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/swedes-rally-support-mosques-arson-attacks-27968115|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/swedes-rally-in-support-of-muslims-after-arson-attacks-against-mosques/|title=Swedes rally in support of Muslims after arson attacks against mosques|work=Fox News|access-date=2015-01-03|archive-date=2015-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924190807/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/02/swedes-rally-in-support-muslims-after-arson-attacks-against-mosques/|url-status=live}}