Mosque vandalized with swastikas, hate messages in Belgium

A mosque in northern Belgium was vandalized with swastikas, hate messages and dog feces, local media reported Sunday.

The vandalism targeting the Tawfieq mosque in Schelle, in Belgium's Antwerp province, was discovered by mosque board members on Friday morning, according to Belgian public broadcaster VRT.

Hate messages and swastikas had been painted on the mosque's door and windows, while dog feces were scattered in front of its entrance.

"We were extremely shocked when we discovered the message, the swastikas and dog feces at our center," the board said.

Officials photographed the vandalism before cleaning the building ahead of Friday prayers and filed a complaint with police against the unknown perpetrators.

The local Rupel police confirmed the incident, saying authorities were taking it seriously and had launched an investigation to identify those responsible.

Muslim Rights Watch Belgium described the incident as "Muslim hatred in its purest form."

"This is not an isolated case of vandalism or an act of 'troublemaking,' but a disgusting and explicit expression of Muslim hatred," the group's chairman, Mohamed Amin Chaib, said in the report.

The organization said it would also file a complaint and urged authorities to strengthen security around mosques.