Turkish Shiite mosque set on fire amid claims of sectarian discrimination

A group of unidentified people set alight a mosque attended by Shiite Turks in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district on 8 July, after the mosque's imam received threats over the past week, Turkish media reported.

Police and firefighters rushed to the scene after passersby informed them about the fire. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames. 

Although no one was injured, the fire at the Muhammediye Mosque which started in the early hours of the morning caused considerable material damage to the building. Police have said the cause of the fire is still unknown.

The intruders entered the mosque using ladders before setting fire to the library, according to reports by Cihan News Agency. 

The mosque's imam claimed that the fire was ignited at his library and then spread throughout the building. “I can’t tell whether it’s a Molotov cocktail or not. A week ago, they came and threatened me. I filed a complaint to the police,” said Imam Hamza Aydın.

“They told me, ‘You are not one of us. You don’t deserve to live. You worship stones. You are Shiite. We will burn you.’ Then, a week later, they did it,” Aydın said, adding that the police had not taken any measures following his complaint.

In a related development, Republican People's Party (CHP) Bursa deputy Aykan Erdemir released a written statement on Tuesday, recalling that the Allahüekber Ehlibeyt Mosque, also used by Shiites, had been attacked in June. Erdemir called on the government to act against what he described as “hate crimes.” 

Erdemir recalled a statement by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in which he had referred to Shiites as being skilled at “deception, lies, slender, sedition and evil.” The CHP deputy said attacks on Shiite houses of worship are encouraged by the prime minister's sectarian discourse.