MEVLANA MOSQUE

A MAN LOOKS AT THE FACADE OF THE MEVLANA MOSQUE IN BERLIN, GERMANY, TUESDAY, AUG. 12, 2014. POLICE SAY A FIRE AT THE MOSQUE IN BERLIN MAY BE THE RESULT OF ARSON AND THEY ARE LOOKING INTO A POSSIBLE POLITICAL MOTIVE. POLICE SPOKESWOMAN PATRICIA BRAEMER SAID TUESDAY THAT A NEW EXTENSION OF A MOSQUE IN BERLIN’S IMMIGRANT KREUZBERG NEIGHBORHOOD WENT UP IN FLAMES LATE MONDAY. BRAEMER SAID THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE EXTENSION, WHICH WAS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WAS DESTROYED AND THE ORIGINAL MOSQUE BUILDING WAS ALSO DAMAGED BY THE FLAMES. (AP PHOTO/MICHAEL SOHN) *** Local Caption *** A TURKISH DELEGATION COMPRISED OF OFFICIALS FROM TURKISH PARLIAMENT’S HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE AND HEAD OF TURKS ABROAD AND RELATED COMMUNITIES DIRECTORATE OF THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTRY STARTED A TWO-DAY VISIT TO GERMANY YESTERDAY TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE EXTENT OF ATTACKS AND SUSPICION OF ARSON. THEIR FIRST VISIT WAS TO BERLIN’S MEVLANA MOSQUE. A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A PART OF THE MOSQUE THAT WAS BEING REDECORATED ON AUGUST 11. THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE IS NOT YET KNOWN BUT GERMAN OFFICIALS SAID THEY FOUND TRACES OF A FLAMMABLE LIQUID AT THE SCENE, POINTING TO ARSON. LOCATED IN KREUZBERG, A DISTRICT OF BERLIN DUBBED AS “LITTLE ISTANBUL” DUE TO ITS LARGE POPULATION OF TURKS – APPROXIMATELY 40,000 PEOPLE – THE MOSQUE WAS PARTIALLY OPEN FOR PRAYERS AS RECONSTRUCTION WAS UNDERWAY ON THE 40-YEAROLD STRUCTURE.